Digimon: Cyber Wars
by Thireven
Summary: Six DigiDestined and their digital partners find themselves as the only ones who can save both the Digital World and the Human World from the army of the accursed Demon Lord. It's going to be harder than they think.
1. Prologue: The Countdown Begins

Homeless.

The word conjured images of rundown shacks built from junk tossed aside by people who no longer needed it; of frail, sick people with ratty clothes and unkempt hair who smelled so bad no one could stand to be near them; of thieves picking pockets and breaking into people's homes.

Now she understood how those people felt.

She had trouble believing that it had come to this, sitting under a playground slide shivering while the rain blew this way and that. Her clothes were soaked and there was a chill in her bones that made it impossible to even consider being warm. To think that it had happened the way it had was even worse. Being kicked out of your home by your own mother after a trivial argument was ridiculous.

Thinking about it made her angry. She had been struggling enough as it was; between trying to find a job and helping her mother with paying their ever increasing bills, she had little time for herself. What right did her mother have to take away everything from her after she had done so much to help? She had been willing to sacrifice her own enjoyment to help a woman who had never cared much for her in the first place.

Wrapping her arms around herself, the young woman shook her head, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. After everything, the world had turned its back on her. She had lost her best friend, then her father, and finally her home. Why? When the tears finally slipped down her cheeks, she let them, uncaring. No one would see her.

A couple of minutes passed when she wiped the tears away. Crying wouldn't help her out of the situation she was in. There wasn't much she could do at all. With no money, she couldn't buy a house. Getting a job and keeping that job would be near impossible to do.

She reached into the bag beside her and pulled out a framed picture. It was one of the few reminders of a better time in her life. Her hand went up to grab the goggles hanging around her neck. The years of being with her friend when she was younger had been the best years of her life. She slid the picture back into the bag and slung the pack over her shoulder, preparing to leave.

She froze and blinked.

It was almost as if there was a…hole in the air near her that was just large enough for a person to fit through. Moving so that she was on her hands and knees, she moved closer to it.

_I must be going crazy,_ she thought while she inspected the hole. _The stress finally pushed me over the edge._

Shifting her weight to her right arm, she reached her left arm outwards to put her hand into it. It was probably a stupid thing to do, but her curiosity got the better of her. She could feel _something_, so maybe it _was_ there. Then again, she could just be imagining the sensation.

There was a sudden pressure on her hand, as if someone had grabbed her, and she felt a strong tug. A shout of surprise came from between her lips, her entire body lurching forward. She sat up and attempted to free herself of whatever had hold of her. However, the unseen force quickly overpowered her. She found herself being dragged towards the hole and closed her eyes in a silent prayer just as she was pulled into it.

"_Tell me, would you like to change the world? If you come with me, you can."_

~0~

"We do not have much time."

The knight in golden armor held up his hand, watching as it flickered. "You're right. It won't be long now."

"These are the Digimon chosen to save our world?"

The voice drew the attention of the two others.

"It would seem so. All of them hold a potential very few others have. You have doubts?"

"One is a Virus type." The displeasure was clear in the female's voice. She tapped her fingers against the table.

"That may be so, Crusadermon, but you and I know that not all Virus Digimon are inherently evil."

Crusadermon looked up, the annoyance she felt clear in her mannerisms. The wound on her side made her move to place her hand over it.

"How do we know that he can be trusted, Gallantmon?"

"He fights to protect his friends, not to hurt others."

She shifted her gaze to the other male. "You would believe he could be different?"

"Yes, I do." The gold and blue knight shifted, glancing between the two before ultimately resting his eyes on the screen in front of them. "I understand how you feel, Crusadermon. After all, I was personally betrayed. But we have to believe in them. What else do we have, if not this hope?"

"Magnamon is right," Gallantmon murmured in agreement.

The pink armored warrior turned away, letting out a ragged sigh. "Let us hope you are right, for they hold the future of the Digital World on their hands."

"I believe they can succeed."

"They have to," Gallantmon said. He paused, flinching when his arm flickered. "Our time is coming to an end."

"It was an honor serving with you both," Crusadermon stated, standing as straight as she could while still holding her wound. "It was a pleasure to serve in the Royal Guard with Digimon such as yourselves. I wish our time together could be longer."

Magnamon offered a smile. "I couldn't have asked for better friends."

Reaching to either side, Gallantmon placed a hand on both Magnamon and Crusadermon's shoulders. "I hope that one day we can meet again."


	2. 1 - This Is Your Story

Afternoon came in a gust of cheering and a chorus of excited cries as students welcomed the open air, running out of the school building with friends, laughing and joking with each other as they began to enjoy their new found freedom. Mikami stood at the bottom of the steps, casually leaning against the stone wall lining the entrance stairs as others walked past. She wore a casual outfit consisting of a vest, a t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. Book bag dangling in one hand, cell phone in the other, she looked to be waiting patiently.

That was, in fact, what she was doing. Her friends had come to an agreement to meet outside the school at the end of the day to make plans for summer break. It was an important time for them, as oldest of their group, Daiki, would be graduating the next year. All of them planned to make it a summer they would always remember. It was their own of saying farewell for however long it took him to graduate college. That wasn't to say that they wouldn't see him during that time, but he was probably going to be too busy to hang out with them.

"Mikami!"

Turning, the brunette glanced over her shoulder. Yoko hopped down the stairs, cherry red hair framing her face. Her green eyes instantly lit up at the sight of the other girl, a smile splitting her face in two. The thin white jacket she wore did little to hide the yellow tank top she wore. Her white skirt billowed outwards as she skipped the last two steps. How she managed to safely land while wearing white heeled shoes was beyond anyone's understanding, though the girl seemed unaffected by the near impossible thing she had done.

She giggled, dusting off her skirt though there was an absence of any dirt on it.

"You weren't waiting long, were you?" The shorter girl asked.

Mikami shook her head, mirroring her friend's smile. "No, I haven't been here long."

"Well, that's good!" Yoko declared.

"Hey, there's my two favorite girls!"

Both girls looked up to see to Daiki walked down the steps with a grin. His own book bag was slung over his bare shoulder, thumping against his back. His medium-length silver hair hung in his face, partially obscuring the view of his pale gold eyes. The eighteen year-old's attire made him seem like a typical "bad boy." The clothes in question were a black sleeveless turtleneck and a pair of ripped black jeans stuffed into his leather boots. On his hands were long fingerless gloves that stretched up to end at his elbows. As he came to a stop by the duo, he looked down at them.

Of the three, he was the tallest, standing over six feet tall. Mikami was taller than Yoko by nearly half a foot, standing at five foot eleven inches. Both girls knew Daiki found pleasure in being able to look down at them. The shortest of the trio look up and smiled.

"So, we gonna go?"

"Where's Tadashi and Shizuka?" Mikami asked, glancing towards the doors.

"Ah, they said they'd meet us at the park," he replied. "Speaking of missing people, where's the Munchkin?"

"Don't call him that!" Yoko protested. "Just because he's short doesn't mean you have to be mean!"

Daiki sighed and rolled his eyes at her complaint, but found it necessary to apologize. "Sorry. But…he is kinda short."

"I agree," Mikami said. "Still, you shouldn't be calling him names, so stop. I would hate to see what happens to you."

She glared over her shoulder at them. The action made Yoko freeze in place. On the other hand, Daiki found it to be a mixture of amusing and worrying. It wasn't the first time she had given him that look. Sometimes it was meant to be playful, and other times it was a warning. He simply nodded to her. Better to be on the safe side; after all, Mikami had a tendency to aim for more _sensitive_ spots. Satisfied, Mikami looked away and began to walk down the street. Realizing that they would ultimately be left behind, the duo glanced at each other and dashed after their friend

"Slow down, Mikami!"

"Wait for us!"

In response, she walked faster, all the while laughing at their predicament.

_Huh, they're falling behind pretty quickly. I thought for sure they'd catch up more quickly,_ she mused.

With Daiki's long legs and Yoko's tendency to be hyperactive, she had figured they would be walking beside her before they were halfway to the park. When she glanced forward, she realized they were almost to the park. The familiar trees stabbed into the air from behind a brick wall. From where she was, she could see the entry arch. Pausing, she turned to look at her friends. Daiki was wincing, walking oddly as he rubbed his ribs. Yoko stuck her tongue out, pulling at her shirt with a sigh, having unbuttoned her jacket.

As they tiredly trudged towards her, she placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

"Sorry, walking too fast again," she apologized.

"Walking? More like full force running!" Daiki moaned, gasping. "Seriously, I pulled a muscle trying to catch up with you."

"And I'm all sweaty now," Yoko moaned.

She had been running? Sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, Mikami grinned, chuckling. "Didn't realize I was running. Sorry, again. You know how Andre does his best to make sure I'm in shape."

"Nah, it's okay," Daiki replied, standing straight. "Besides, I need a work out."

"I don't," Yoko muttered.

Daiki playfully pushed her, causing them both to smile. After a moment of the duo shoving each other, Mikami cleared her throat and gestured to the park.

"Come on," she urged. "I won't run this time."

Yoko craned her neck upwards to exchange a brief glance with Daiki, both debating whether to believe her. They nodded a moment later. Mikami grinned and grabbed Yoko's hand as she began to walk. Daiki folded his arms behind his head as he followed them, whistling a small tune that made the girls bob their heads back and forth.

"By the way, while it's just us three," Mikami said, frowning, "there's something I've been meaning to ask, Daiki."

The boy blinked, grunting, "Hmm?"

"Most of the time you're a sourpuss. When it's just you, me, and Yoko, you're cheerful. What's up with that?" She asked, looking back at him. "Not that I don't mind, but…you're an ass to everyone else, even our friends."

Instead of being insulted, or lashing out as she expected him to do, he simply stared at her before nonchalantly shrugging. He acted as if it was a normal thing, instead of being rather odd for a teen his age to do. "To be honest, I have no idea. Guess you two bring out the soft side in me. I kinda like it though. It's hard to be nice to anyone else, but it's easy with you two."

"You do act like Yoko is a sister to you," Mikami mumbled thoughtfully.

"And I know why you treat Mikami-"

Before Yoko could finish the sentence, Daiki lunged forward, lowering his arms to wrap his hands around her mouth and silence her. Mikami jumped, letting go of Yoko and partially glaring at the eighteen year-old. Frowning, she folded her arms, stopped walking, and moved to stand in front of the muffled Yoko. Daiki looked at her with conflicted eyes, obviously going through an internal debate.

"What am I missing here?" She demanded.

"Nothing!" Daiki shouted in response. "Absolutely nothing! Isn't that right, Yoko?"

Yoko quickly nodded, sucking in a deep breath as he finally let go of her. Blushing furiously, he dashed around the two and took off for the park. Staring, Yoko blinked as Mikami slowly put two in two together. Blushing after cutting off Yoko, who was saying something about why he treated Mikami so nicely… His treating Yoko like a sister, but not her…

"Oh. Oh! I'm such a blonde." The brunette slid her hand down her face. "Wow."

"Yeah," Yoko muttered, tilting her head to the side. "Why did he run away, though…?"

"I have no idea. We should hurry up, though. Daiki needs supervision."

Yoko snorted, trying to keep herself from laughing. She followed after Mikami as the brunette crossed the street. Peering through the entry arch, she could see Daiki in the distance, sitting on the edge of one of the benches. On the other side was someone else, much smaller than the giant of a teenager was. As they neared the quiet duo, Mikami could see it was Judai. The youngest member of their group of misfits, he was also the shortest, causing him to have to look up to lock eyes with Yoko. His arms were draped over the back of the bench as he dozed. Daiki was glaring at him from the corner of his eye, though it failed to affect the napping boy.

Mikami sat down beside Daiki as soon as they neared them, stretching her arms around his shoulders, causing him to cough uncomfortably. Yoko took a seat between Judai and Mikami, shaking the still sleeping boy. After a few attempts, he groggily opened his eyes and grunted a sleepy greeting at the older kids.

"Didn't sleep last night, did you, Jay?" Yoko asked, giggling.

"Video games," he mumbled in reply, yawning.

"I keep telling you that if play video games all night, you'll fall asleep during the day," she reprimanded, shaking a finger at him. "You never listen."

"Better than school…"

"Jay, you need the education as much as the rest of us," Mikami stated, turning away from the flustered Daiki. "You can't buy video games without money. How do you plan on getting money without a good job? To get a good job, you have to at least graduate high school!"

"Point taken," he said. "Can I get back to my nap?"

"No," Daiki interjected, "because this is a very serious issue. Plus, if you sleep now, you'll be awake all night and miss out on all the awesome adventures we're going on."

"Adventures?" Judai asked, sitting straight. "Like the ones in video games?"

Daiki roughly slammed his palm against his face at the same time as Mikami, causing a slight echo, while Yoko let out a sigh. Of course the boy would immediately connect it to video games. Shifting, she shook her head.

"What are we gonna do with you?" She muttered.

"Dunk him in the pond," Daiki suggested.

"Hey!" Judai shouted indignantly.

"Boys," Mikami said. "You're not five."

Daiki rolled his eyes and was about to retort when he stopped, looking over everyone's heads. Following his gaze, Mikami watched as two teens of the same height entered the park together. She couldn't help but grin.

It was the Duo of Disaster, twins Tadashi and Shizuka. Both were only a few inches shorter than Mikami, standing at the same height as each other. Even though they were twins, they did everything they could to make themselves look different. Tadashi kept his hair a shade of dark blue cut short to his jaw line, neatly brushed. Shizuka's hair was dyed a light purple. She styled it so that it spiked up slightly to the right with the bangs swept out of her face and tied up in a ponytail. Slung on her back was her guitar.

"Hey!" Mikami shouted, raising a hand to wave at the twins.

Shizuka grinned widely, returning the wave enthusiastically while her brother barely raised a hand in greeting.

"Gang's all here, then," she said as she stopped in front of Mikami, smirking. "Good. Then we can talk plans."

"Do what you will, I plan on studying throughout vacation," Tadashi muttered, looking away. Shizuka slapped him on the back, earning a low, "Ow."

"Buzz kill," Daiki hissed in reply.

"Excuse me?" Tadashi asked in an insulted tone.

"You heard me, nerd."

"Delinquent!"

"Dweeb."

"You insolent, ignorant-"

Before Mikami could snap at the two males, Shizuka swung a fist, punching her brother in the face with enough force to send him toppling over. The hit was followed by her kicking Daiki in the stomach, making the elder boy double over. Standing straight again, the girl promptly fixed her guitar strap and huffed loudly, an annoyed look on her face. Daiki, wincing, looked at her through one half-opened eye. Tadashi groaned in pain, clutching his face.

"Honestly, day after day with you two," she muttered, annoyed. "Next time I have to hit you two, I'm going to hit you even harder."

Judai was staring with wide eyes, fully awake. Yoko had a similar expression on her face. Mikami rubbed Daiki's back sympathetically; having been on the receiving end of one of Shizuka's kicks herself, she knew how much it could hurt. Though Shizuka was small framed, she packed a lot of power. Daiki turned and smiled at Mikami thankfully, rubbing his stomach with a grimace.

"Now, are you two done?" Shizuka questioned.

"Yes," both of them groaned.

"Okay. Now, onto business," she declared. "We never decided where we're going first for our vacation."

"Hawaii," Mikami offered.

"Alaska," Yoko muttered.

"No," Daiki replied with a frown. "Too cold."

"Tokyo would be nice," Judai stated. "There's all kinds of stuff over there dealing with video games."

"Absolutely not," Tadashi snapped, standing. "If we are to go on a vacation, we are going where we can enjoy ourselves away from most electronic devices."

"First sensible thing you've ever said," Daiki grumbled. "But I agree. I say we go to Hawaii. And then we can go to the Caribbean."

"Indeed," Tadashi agreed, nodding. "Is it settled then?"

While the others nodded, Judai muttered under his breath about going to Tokyo. Mikami laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

~0~

_**Digital World - Forest Zone**_

"Come on, hurry up already! We ain't got all day for ya to be draggin' yer feet!"

He snapped at them with more anger than usual, mouth pulled into an angry sneer as his ears drooped. The purple Digimon was on edge, just like the rest of them, but even more so. What could he do, though? He was supposed to be leading these guys and he couldn't even properly protect them. How was he supposed to do anything relating to leading them? Why couldn't Renamon be their leader? Fox Face was far more level headed than he was, and definitely smarter than he was. No, she forced him to take charge of their group. Said fox Digimon was standing a ways away with Salamon, who looked on in concern. Looking at Gabumon, he let out a breath. There was no point in forcing him to help Biyomon walk and carry Dorumon at the same time, no matter how pissed off the imp was.

"Snapping at everyone does little to help," Renamon reminded him as he helped the limping bird.

"Shut up, Fox Face!" Impmon snarled. "I don't need advice from ya."

Renamon shrugged, folding her arms as Impmon assisted Biyomon in sitting down beside a tree. She leaned back and smiled gratefully, causing the imp to blush. He coughed and dashed over to help Gabumon, picking up Dorumon. The fur-draped reptile looked at him for a moment before trudging forward, trying his best to keep up with Impmon's pace. The Virus type was in one of his usual, often daily bad moods, and Gabumon knew better than to lag behind and make his friend mad. As they reached the others, the two set down the unconscious Digimon. Gabumon, sighing tiredly, tumbled to the ground beside Biyomon.

"If I have to keep carryin' all of ya, I just might quite all this dumb business," Impmon muttered, pacing back and forth. "Ain't no way we can keep on the run anyways."

"You want to let our world fall to the Digimon we're trying to stop?" Salamon asked, eyes shiny with unshed tears.

Impmon winced, briefly closing his green eyes. Curse her and her ability to look cute even when she didn't mean to! She was always doing that, almost crying so that it made her eyes look glossy and making him feel bad for it. Looking her in the eyes was hard, but he did anyways and contemplated their choices. Fighting against an entire army and their allies was near impossible, but if they didn't, they'd just be deleted immediately anyways. Besides, he liked a good fight, and he wasn't going to back down to some stupid Digimon who thought they could rule the world, Demon Lord or not. Letting out a sigh, he huffed and turned away.

"Whatever," he grumbled; though the hopeful look on Salamon's face made him mentally smile. "I'm only doin' this 'cause of you guys."

Renamon made a soft 'hmph' noise that made him glare at her, eyeing the pleased look on her face. She knew he wouldn't just leave them because he actually did care, even if it was only a little bit. They all knew, actually. An odd sight they were, a bunch of normal Digimon running around with a Virus leader, but none of them actually cared what others thought. He didn't either. Just because he was a Virus type Digimon didn't mean that he couldn't care about these bozos. They had each other and that was it. He kinda wanted to keep it that way.

"It's cute when you get flustered," Biyomon teased, smiling when he turned his glare at her. Unaffected, she sat up. "Trying to act like you don't care."

"It's funny, to be honest," Gabumon added.

"Would ya just shut yer traps already?" Impmon demanded, turning his back on them. "I don't care what ya say. Seriously, I don't actually care. I'm just stickin' with ya for now."

"Lie all you want, it won't change our opinion of you or how we see you," Salamon replied as she smiled.

Blushing furiously, Impmon stalked a couple feet away and firmly sat down, folding his arms and legs in protest. Renamon watched for a moment before laughing quietly and following after him. She slid down to sit beside him without glancing at him. He stared forward, tapping his fingers against his arm. They knew how to pull his strings, all right. So what if he cared about them? They didn't have to joke about it. They were just trying to make light of the situation, but they didn't have time for this. After a short rest, they'd have to be back on their feet and running. Their enemy wasn't far behind them.

"Concerned?" Renamon asked quietly, looking over her shoulder at the others.

Impmon did the same, feeling his heart drop into his stomach as his annoyance faded. Eyes on Dorumon, he grumbled, "Yeah. Not much I can do right now, though."

She placed a paw on his shoulder with a nod. "I know how you're feeling," she murmured, "but you're doing the best you can."

"My best ain't good enough," he muttered. "I mean, just look at poor Dorumon. He…It's my fault he's hurt in the first place."

"He was simply trying to protect a friend," Renamon replied, lowering her head slightly. She closed her eyes with a sigh. "Lamenting over it does nothing to help him."

"I-I know that, Fox Face!" He growled, drawing the attention of the others. "I know that doesn't help, but it's still my fault! We wouldn't be in this miss if it wasn't for me!"

"Are you always going to blame yourself?" She asked, standing. "Are you going to keep doubting your decisions and your judgment?"

He stared up at her while she narrowed her eyes at him. He knew what was coming next, wincing when she opened her mouth to berate him. When he heard nothing, he peeked to see what was going on. She was shaking her head, gripping her nose tightly in irritation. Uncoiling himself, he slowly stood, swallowing. She was right, as much as he hated admitting it. The stress was getting to his head. He just needed to clear his thoughts and get his act together. Ranting and raving wouldn't be of any help to anyone, so there wasn't a point in doing it.

He froze. Renamon's ears twitched as her gaze swiveled towards where the noise had come from. Dread settled on him like a blanket. The others were silent as they all strained to hear what the two were listening to. A loud crash echoed through the air as the ground began to rumble.

They had been found.

"Get up and run! Go! Salamon, take charge!"

Salamon looked startled but nodded, helping Biyomon to her feet. Gabumon slid Dorumon onto his back, holding the comatose Digimon carefully. After a moment, Salamon nodded and ran as fast as she dared with Biyomon by her side. Gabumon glanced over his shoulder at Impmon before dashing after the two females, struggling to keep his passenger on safely. Turning, Impmon looked at Renamon and frowned.

"You outta go too," he ordered, eyes narrowed. "This is gonna get real ugly."

She shook her head defiantly, muscles tense. "You're not staying alone this time."

Impmon smirked, looking forward. "Thanks, Fox Face. Appreciate it."

The trees in front of them parted, falling to either side and slamming into the ground. Dust and dirt rose into the air in the form of a cloud as a massive Greymon loomed out of the shadows of the forest, roaring. Impmon sneered, gripping his fists tightly. The Greymon swung its head around, eyes locking onto the two Rookies. With unnatural speed, the massive Digimon swung its tail around to sweep the two off their feet. Renamon leaped into the air while Impmon dropped down, rolling underneath the heavy appendage. Stopping on his stomach, he pushed himself to his feet. The tail came around for a second swung, barely missing him as he jumped up.

"Diamond Storm!" Renamon shouted.

She flung her arms open as she said the attack name. Leaves gathered around her, sharpening and then raining down on the Greymon. The Champion simply looked up, the attack barely scratching it. It lashed out with its claws, catching Renamon and sending her crashing through a tree, causing it to snap in half as she disappeared. Impmon yelled out in concern, only to dig his feet into the ground and push backwards as a foot stomped into the ground where he had been moments ago. He looked up, furious, as he flicked his fingers upwards, fire gathering into small orbs above his fingertips.

"Bada Boom!" He yelled, throwing the fireballs. They bounced off harmlessly as he watched. "Damn it…!"

The tail smacked against him, slamming him into a nearby tree and pinning him. Grimacing in pain, he glared up at the tall Digimon. The Greymon roared, opening its mouth. Eyes wide, Impmon struggled to push the tail off to get out of the way of the coming attack. _This can't be the end of me! What're the others gonna do without me? _Frantic, he shoved forward with his hands, kicking the tail as hard as he could. He wasn't going to die here after getting so far! He didn't care what he had to do!

"Nova Blast!"

"Power Paw!"

Blinking, Impmon watched the blue and gold blur whack the Greymon's chin hard enough to make its head angle upwards. The massive fiery blast meant to kill Impmon set the treetops ablaze, causing an inferno that raged around them. Distracted, the Greymon loosened its grip on him enough for Impmon to wiggle out from tail. He dropped down and dashed forward, eyeing Renamon as she landed nearby. Glad that she was okay, he turned to the Champion and raised a fist.

"Thought ya could kill me that easily, eh? No way, bub!"

"Impmon," Renamon muttered.

Nodding, he threw up his hands, crying, "Pillars of Fire!" Flames shot upwards in columns, surrounding the Greymon and obscuring its view of them. Renamon seized hold of Impmon, causing him to yelp, and dashed farther into the trees, putting distance between them, the enemy, and their friends. Slung over her shoulder, he could see the Greymon stretched its head over the flames, but by the time it swung its gaze around, the trees hid them. She continued to run silently even when Impmon pounded on her back for her to stop.

"If ya keep goin'…we won't be able…to find our friends!"

"Be quiet," she grumbled. "I know that. Surviving is more important right now. They can take care of themselves until we can regroup."

Letting himself go limp, Impmon sighed. "I hope yer right, Fox Face."

"Are you doubting _me _now?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, I ain't doubtin' ya…"

She nodded, paws barely making a sound as she rushed through the woods.

~0~

When Gabumon began to gasp for breath, Salamon called a halt, locating a small cave in a nearby cliff wall. While Biyomon and Gabumon nestled together, Salamon eyed Dorumon with a frown on her face. The furry Digimon mumbled something before blinking his eyes open to see her hovering over him. She let out a relieved sigh, gently pushing him up with his head. Once he was sitting up, he looked at the other two and glanced around, confused.

"Glad you're alright," Salamon mumbled.

"Yeah, you've been out a while," Gabumon said, blinking.

"Feel better?" Biyomon asked with a smile.

Dorumon nodded, still glancing around. "Yeah. " He hesitated, conflicted. "Where's Impmon and Renamon?"

"They're…" Salamon trailed off, unsure of how to tell him.

She wasn't sure if they were even still alive. A Champion had been after them, and even though they were together, two Rookies couldn't take on a Digimon that much stronger… How could she explain to him that their friends could have been deleted already? Shaking the negative thoughts out of her mind, she looked at Dorumon. No, she couldn't think that way. Impmon had put her in charge. If he trusted her with that responsibility, she trusted him and Renamon to live.

"They stayed behind, to draw the Greymon away," she explained, voice lowering. "And…I'm sure they're okay…"

"Of course they are," Dorumon replied, smiling suddenly. "Impmon and Renamon make a great team. They can get out a pinch anytime."

"Yeah. Impmon might get into a bit of trouble, but Renamon's with him," Gabumon stated in agreement, nodding.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Salamon smiled. At least the two boys were being a bit more optimistic than her. She glanced over, catching Biyomon's eye. The pink bird smiled and nodded encouragingly. She could feel her spirits rise. As long as all of them had faith in their two friends, then Impmon and Renamon would be fine. After all, it was the only thing they could do to help at that point. She sat down beside Dorumon, looking at him and Gabumon. They were right, because Impmon and Renamon were an unstoppable duo. It didn't matter if it was a Champion they were up against, they'd just find a way to survive the battle. She knew that much. They just needed to hold onto their faith.


	3. 2 - New World

Well, here's another update. As fair warning, every chapter will have some sort of moment that helps to clear the definitions of the characters, so sorry if that's not your thing. Also, thanks to Blonde-Eko for my first reviews on this story~

* * *

It was nearing dusk when the group settled back down near the playground. The sky was bursting with a rainbow of colors that bathed them in a soft, orange light. Everyone was sitting scattered, enjoying the peace. Shizuka absent-mindedly strummed her guitar while seated on the bench, humming a soft tune. Her brother sat nearby with his legs crossed, cheek resting in his palm while he watched her, a small smile on his face as he hummed along side her. Yoko and Judai had fallen asleep next to each other, backs leaning against the trunk of a tree; his head was on her shoulder while her head was nestled on top of his. Mikami was underneath the jungle gym, lying on her back with her arms behind her head. Daiki was nearby, one knee drawn up to his chest for him to rest his arm on as he vigilantly watched the others.

_He's always doing that, _she thought to herself. _No matter how much they annoy him._

"Hey," Mikami called softly, "Daiki?"

Reluctantly tearing his gaze from the others, he glanced down at her. "Hmm?"

"Pretty sunset, isn't it?" she murmured, closing her eyes. "Reminds me of when we were kids."

He blushed, coughing into his fist. She giggled, opening her eyes again and sitting up. She sat with her legs out, hands gripping her feet.

"Remember when we first met here at the park?" She questioned, smiling. "I skinned my knee after falling out the swing. You came running over yelling and dragging your mom with you."

Face red and burning with embarrassment, he turned away. "Yeah, well, you were bleeding…"

"It was small scratch," she replied. "You were so worried…"

He rubbed the back of his neck, leaning to the side to look at her. "Okay, so I thought you were cute and needed help. Happy?"

She grinned victoriously, rocking back and forth as she looked forward. Tadashi was nodding off as Shizuka began to sing softly, playing a much gentler tune. "So I was right. When you ran off earlier, I kinda figured that's what it was about."

Now his ears were tinged a deep pink as he gaped. "W-what?" He stuttered.

"You like me," she announced in a sing-song voice, looking pleased with herself. "Can't believe it took me this long to figure it out, but I know now."

"You make it sound like it's an accomplishment," Daiki grumbled. Flinging himself backwards, he slammed into the ground with barely a blink. "I'm kinda glad you figured it out, though."

"If you wanted me to know, why didn't you let Yoko tell me?" She asked, scooting closer to settle beside him. "Or tell me yourself? I wouldn't have cared."

"Kinda nervous," he muttered, folding his arms over his chest. "You've never been the…nice type towards confessors of love."

_Confessors of love? Really?_ She blinked and sighed, reaching out a hand to slap on his forehead. "You're ridiculous. I don't have many friends, Daiki, but you're one of them. That means taking care of eachother and having no secrets. That _also_ means not making fun of eachother over something like that."

"Why's that?" He asked, pushing her hand off his head to grab it.

"Easy. Have you ever seen what happens to a friend who admits he loves one of _his_ friends? Doesn't turn out pretty. Sulking and all that."

He nodded absent-mindedly, staring upwards. Mulling over something, he slowly sat up, a thoughtful look on his face.

"You know, we should camp out tonight."

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow at the statement. He was probably uncomfortable with the earlier conversation. Nodding, she stood. "We should. I'll go tell the others and call everyone's parents."

"Nah, I'll call," he replied, jumping to his feet. "Go wake up everyone."

Smiling, she ducked down and walked out from under the jungle gym, heading towards where Shizuka sat. The purple-haired girl was still playing her guitar, her brother sleeping against her side. She looked up when the brunette approached, sparing an exasperated glance at her brother. Smiling, Mikami gently shook Tadashi awake. When he groggily blinked his eyes open, she looked at the guitarist.

"We're gonna camp out tonight," she explained. "Everyone is pretty tired anyways."

"Sounds good," Shizuka replied with a nod.

Tadashi stretched, yawning. "May I get back to sleep?"

"Not sitting up," Shizuka replied, pointing down at the grass. "If you're gonna sleep, sleep down there."

Tadashi grumbled under his breath as he slid off the bench. Once on the ground, he laid down on his side and was immediately asleep. The girls giggled before Mikami looked over to the two youngest members of their group. Nodding to Shizuka, she made her away over to the resting teenagers and crouched. Tapping Yoko on the head caused the girl to open one eyes and look at the brunette with a questioning gaze. Judai stirred, mumbling incoherently.

"Hey, we're camping out. Okay?"

"Camping out sounds fun," Yoko whispered.

"Sleep," Judai groaned, waving away Mikami.

She smirked, standing up and walking over to Daiki. He was whispering into his phone, rolling his eyes when an agitated voice replied back. Slowing down once in range of him, she strained her ears to hear what was going on. The voice belonged to Yoko's father, who was complaining with rather colorful language that he didn't want Daiki near his daughter. Sighing, Mikami snatched the phone from Daiki's hand.

"Mr. Damoto," she greeted, sticking a fake happy tone into her voice. "Everyone is here, I promise you. We've simply decided to camp out for the night because everyone is tired. Okay, yeah. Thank you. I'll keep on eye on them for you, I promise. Bye."

She hit the button to end the call with an irritated look on her face. "Honestly, that man. I could skin him."

"I finished talking to all the other parents already," Daiki said as she tossed him the phone. He caught it. "As soon as I said we were camping out here, they just agreed as long as I kept an eye out."

"Yoko's father is the only one who doesn't trust you," Mikami grumbled, kicking a rock. "It's ridiculous."

"Trust me, I know how you…"

He trailed off, staring upwards. Realizing that something caught his attention, she looked up. Above them, ribbons of light danced around, illuminating everything around them. The added light caused the others to reawaken, mouths agape as they stared at the sky. Daiki took a few steps forward, squinting.

"Is that…an aurora?"

"Incredible," Tadashi muttered, sitting up. "This should be scientifically impossible!"

"Huh?" Mikami grunted.

Yoko stood, dragging a still half-asleep Judai with her to stand near the twins. Daiki made his way over, followed by Mikami. Shizuka, rubbing her chin, look like she was contemplating the phenomenon.

"He's right," she said. "There shouldn't be an aurora directly over us."

"So we're witnessing the improbable," Daiki stated with a heavy frown. "Err, does anyone else see that hole in the center of the aurora?"

Peering closely, Mikami realized that there was something that almost looked like a hole at the center. The color was being sucked upwards through it, swirling around the sides on in the inside of it. In fact, it reminded her of a black hole almost. However, it definitely wasn't, considering the vibrant colors in it. Tadashi's jaw practically hit in the ground as he stood, eyeing it with curiosity and fear.

"That…is unbelievable. How can this be occurring?"

As she thought about a response to the question, she felt a feeling of weightlessness sweep over her. Looking down, she found herself floating off the ground. Frantic, she turned to Daiki, only to see him flailing as he was picked up. The others followed suit, letting out cries as they were pulled upwards. Daiki reached over, grabbing her by the arm. The only thing she could think was that they were in serious trouble.

"Keep hold of eachother," Daiki commanded.

The twins nodded, grabbing hands and then reaching out to hold onto Yoko and Judai. As Mikami reached to take Yoko's hand, she felt her and Daiki being swept upwards over the others. Shizuka shouted in agitation while Yoko cried out in surprise. Realizing that they had been separated from their friends, Daiki held tightly onto her.

The world disappeared in a swirling mass of colors. The last thing she saw was Yoko trying to reach for her.

* * *

_Digital World - Forest Zone Lake_

Impmon impatiently paced back and forth at the edge of the lake, glancing up once and again to see if his companion was done. Of course, Renamon was still trying to get the mud and dirt out of her fur. Sighing, he turned around and stomped. After their narrow escape, they had rested awhile before coming to the lake. She had insisted on cleaning herself, and while he couldn't blame her, he was still restless. They needed to get a move on soon, or else that blockhead Greymon would find them again.

_And next time I fight that guy, I'm gonna Bada Boom him back to where he came from!_

He stepped down, glowering, when he heard a head-splitting scream. Tensing, he looked up at the same time as Renamon. A massive hole had appeared in the sky, spitting out two shapes before it suddenly winked out of existence. One was flailing their arms while the other held on protectively. Renamon seemed to register that they were heading straight towards the lake and swam back, climbing onto dry land.

While the Digimon were staring on, Daiki had gripped Mikami closer to him, trying to stop her from flailing. It was even worse for her considering her fear of falling. Currently, she was screaming, eyeing the lake below with the thought that she was going to drown because she was a terrible swimmer. In only a few moments, they were in the water, causing a wave as they slammed into the lake. Mikami's mouth opened instantly, flooding her lungs. Daiki swam down faster than a missile, grabbed her by the arms, and began his swim up. As soon as he head broke water, he dragged Mikami up, trying to keep her head out of the water.

"What're you waiting for, Fox Face? Go help!" Impmon snapped.

Renamon nodded, diving into the water and swimming over to Daiki. He didn't even blink when the bipedal fox said something to him and positioned herself on Mikami's other side. Compared to being sucked into a massive hole in the side, a talking humanoid animal wasn't that weird.

The duo dragged the unconscious girl onto dry land. As soon as he slammed a hand against her back, her eyes snapped open and she began to cough up the water she had inhaled. Daiki let himself fall over, groaning. Mikami, holding herself up weakly, looked at him gratefully.

"Never again," he shouted at the sky. "I never want to fall through a hole in the sky ever again!"

"This has been an eventful day," the fox commented.

"Renamon, shut up, please," the imp sighed.

"Thanks for the help, Renamon," Daiki said, sitting up. "I'm Daiki. This is Mikami."

"You're welcome," she replied. "My companion's name is Impmon."

Mikami looked up, eyeing the two. Soon she found herself staring at Impmon, a questioning look on her face. He folded his arms, annoyed.

"What?" He snapped. "Ya gonna stare at me all day?"

"Why not?" She replied in a teasing voice, smiling. "Thanks for saving me, Renamon."

Renamon nodded, shaking slightly as she dried off. "My pleasure." Pausing, she noted they fact they look partially relaxed despite their situation. "You two don't seem to be surprised by our ability to talk."

Mikami shrugged. "We were sucked up into a hole in the sky and spit back out. Talking animals isn't the least of my worries today."

"Hey, we're not talking animals," Impmon objected. "We're Digimon."

For a moment, the two humans stared, and then exchanged looks. They were contemplating the situation, trying to decide whether or not they believed the strange creatures. After a moment, Mikami looked back at the waiting duo and nodded. Daiki leaned back while she flipped around to sit and folded her legs, staring at the lake.

"If you say so," she replied. "Anyways, do you know why we're here?"

Impmon shrugged. "Heck if I know, Toots."

Mikami let out a heavy sigh, pouting. "Great. This is just great. Our camp out is ruined. Heck, it's almost night time here too."

"Mikami, you may want to look at this…"

Looking over, the girl could see Daiki holding something in his hand. She scooted closer and peered at what he was examining. It almost looked like a phone, but it was slightly small and much thinner. A screen took up most of it, while three buttons were positioned on the bottom. It was a light, dusty gold color. Blinking, she dug into her vest pocket. Feeling something metallic, she pulled it out. It looked similar to the one Daiki was holding, but was purple instead.

Impmon and Renamon were staring at them when the girl glanced at them. Looking at the odd device, she frowned.

"A Digivice," Impmon muttered. "Woah. Haven't heard of one of those being around in a long time."

"Indeed," Renamon grunted. "They must be the humans that were chosen."

"Come again?" Daiki frowned. "Chosen?"

"To save the Digital World," she stated calmly.

"Great, I have to be partner's with one of 'em?" Impmon hissed. "Nice."

"Care to elaborate?" Mikami requested. "Because I am confused."

0-0-0

Yoko screamed.

She wasn't the only one. Tadashi was screeching like a banshee, flinging his free arm around. Judai wasn't faring much better, barely holding onto Yoko's hand. Shizuka was rather calm, holding tightly onto her brother and Yoko while trying to draw them closer. They were heading straight down towards a clearing in the massive forest below, which she knew would hurt when they landed. How the female twin could be so calm while they were plummeting to their doom was mind boggling, but at that moment, she didn't care. They were going to be squished.

Then, suddenly, an orange blur charged at them from the corner of her eye.

An arm wrapped around her leg, a hand holding her ankle. She looked up, surprised to see a tall, orange furred humanoid holding onto her friends. One arm was wrapped around Shizuka, who had a death grip on Yoko. Judai had been carelessly flung onto the person's shoulder, wide eyed, while Tadashi was tucked under the other arm. She nearly had a heart attack when they slammed against land. Shizuka lost her grip, causing the young girl to land harshly on her rear end. The others were deposited near her, rubbing various body parts.

Mikami and Daiki were nowhere in sight.

Looking up their rescuer, she found herself face to face with a bipedal lion. He stared down at them with a relieved look, one hand on the hilt on his sword. He looked heroic, she realized, his mane fluttering in the breeze, the last fading light making it easy to see his well-toned muscles-

She mentally smacked herself to knock her out of making him a heroic idol.

"I am glad I came in time to help you," he grunted. "I am Leomon."

"U-uh, um." Unable to think, Yoko stuttered. "T-thank you."

"Wow, a real life Digimon!" Shizuka exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "This is awesome! I can't believe this! I only ever saw Digimon on TV, but they're real!"

She grabbed his hand, shaking it up and down quickly. He looked at her with an unsure look on his face. Yoko giggled, covering her mouth

"Highly improbable, but a specimen is standing before us," Tadashi muttered, acting as if he hadn't been screaming like a little girl a few minutes ago. "Interesting. It seems we have discovered the Digital World."

"Eh, boring," Judai replied, yawning as he reclined back. "I'm gonna go to sleep."

Yoko blinked, standing and dusting herself off. Leomon did his best to ignore the statements by the twins and examined all of them critically.

"None of you are injured?" He questioned, concern in his voice.

"Nope," Shizuka answered.

He nodded when a voice shouted, "Hey!" Turning their attention towards where the cliff sloped downwards, they could see four small shapes heading for them. One was flying, reaching them before the others. It was a pink bird that landed beside Leomon, looking up at him.

"Leomon! There you are! We could've used your help earlier," she grumbled.

"Biyomon," Leomon said in greeting. "I apologize. I was busy battling."

"Oh."

Three others soon joined them. Biyomon was quick to introduce them: The small dog-like Digimon was Salamon, who was currently leading them; the reptile was Gabumon, who was their look-out; and last was a purple Digimon named Dorumon. The little purple Digimon blushed when Yoko commented on him being cute, kicking at the dirt. Leomon seemed to notice something was off as he scanned them over. Frowning, he folded his arms.

"Where are Impmon and Renamon?"

The four exchanged glances before Salamon looked down. "They were protecting us from a Greymon. We had to run; Dorumon and Biyomon were hurt. So, we got separated…"

"I am sure they are fine," Leomon replied, despite the look of worry on his face.

"Who are Impmon and Renamon?" Yoko asked.

"Our friends," Gabumon replied. "Impmon is our actual leader."

"Ah, pardon me, children, but you have not introduced yourselves," Leomon grunted, trying to change the subject.

Blinking, Yoko blushed. "I'm Yoko. The twins are Tadashi and Shizuka. The one that's asleep is Judai."

"It's our pleasure to meet you," Salamon said, bowing her head. "You must be our partners."

"Partners? Just like the show!" Shizuka exclaimed, punching her fist into the air. "Sweet!"

"Please calm yourself," Tadashi requested. "We must have Digivices, correct?"

Leomon nodded, somewhat surprised that the boy was aware of the fact. Yoko slipped her hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out a silver device that looked similar to a phone. The others did as well, Shizuka waking Judai from him to find his. Tadashi's was an ocean blue. Shizuka, being the opposite, had fiery red. Judai's was colored smoky grey.

"You, my friends, have been chosen to save the Digital World," Leomon stated as they gaped. "And these four are your partner Digimon."

0-0-0

"Okay, let me straighten this out," Mikami grumbled. "We're destined to save the Digital World. You're our partners, and your friends are _our_ friends' partners."

"Exactly," Impmon replied, irritated. "What's so hard to believe about it?"

"Just…Yoko doesn't seem like the kind to be chosen as a hero," she grumbled.

"True," Daiki agreed. "She's timid around strangers, easily frightened, and too happy-go-lucky."

"I am sure there is a special quality that makes her qualified to be a hero," Renamon stated. "It is getting dark. We should make camp."

Mikami looked at Daiki with a small smile. "We get to camp out like we wanted, at least."

"Without the others," he grumbled, sighing. "I hope they're alright."

"Shizuka's with them," Mikami replied, leaning against him. "They'll be fine."


	4. 3 - Time Of Rest

Welcome back, Cyber Wars fans! The story is still a bit slow for now, so I do apologize for that.  
Unfortunately, I still don't own Digimon. Enjoy~

* * *

_Sitting in the tree house, the two little girls shifted around Digimon cards, talking and giggling to each other. Several of the cards were scattered around, the pile spreading as one of them would pick up a card and then promptly toss it down. After a moment, the girl with the pale blonde hair locked her eyes onto a card and picked it up. The blonde haired girl looked up with a smile, emerald eyes sparkling as she held up a single Digimon card. On it was an illustration of a small, bat-like creature with a devilish smirk. The brunette across from the other child blinked, holding a card in her own hand. Examining the one her friend held, she blinked once again and tilted her head to the side, hair spilling over her shoulders to partially obscure her face. The blonde haired girl grinned, flipping her own hair out of her sight._

"_DemiDevimon," she announced. "My favorite card."_

"_You like a little demon bat?" _

_She puffed her cheeks out as they turned a crimson red. "W-well, let's see what Digimon you like then, Mikami!"_

_Giggling quietly, Mikami flipped over her card. The illustration was of a child-like imp wearing a scarf, gloves, and had a smiley face on its stomach. It was grinning evilly. "Impmon."_

_A few moments of silence followed before her friend burst out laughing, falling backwards while clutching her stomach. She kicked her legs, trying to contain herself. Mikami looked crestfallen, slouching as she pouted while staring at her friend with sad sapphire eyes. When the offending girl looked up, she paused, laughter dying down. With an apologetic look, she sat up, rubbing the back of her neck._

"_Ah, okay, sorry. It's really not as bad as DemiDevimon."_

_Mikami locked her eyes onto her friend, blinking. "Really, Angela?"_

_Angela nodded, giving the younger girl a thumbs-up. "Yep, really. DemiDevimon is basically a demon. An imp isn't that bad. How about, since I laughed at you, you keep the card?"_

_Eyes sparkling, Mikami clutched the card to her chest and beamed at her friend. "Thanks!"_

0-0-0

The fire crackled dully her in ears as she was pulled from her dream. Sleepily blinking her eyes open, Mikami sat up, rubbing her head with an irritated sigh. That had been the first time she had dreamt about her former friend Angela since their falling-out. They had been close as children, both fans of Digimon, but after the "incident" had occurred, they had grown apart. At some point, Mikami decided Digimon had been too childish for her. After a harsh argument with the older girl, they went their separate ways.

Mikami couldn't help but realize the irony in it all, as her eyes rested on the sleeping form of Renamon. Who would have thought that she would end up in the Digital World, partnered with the Digimon she once called her favorite? She had dreamed of meeting real Digimon when she was younger, and now, several years later, she got her chance. Nothing was the same, though. She and Angela had wanted to go together, but of course, the older girl was gone and out of her life.

Letting out a soft sigh, she slid a leg under her to push herself to her feet. She yawned as she stretched, tears forming on the edge of her eyes. Annoyed, she rubbed them away and stumbled over to the lake. She carefully sat, kicking off her shoes to the side, and stuck her feet into the chilly lake. The icy feeling on her skin helped to distract her from the dream as she leaned back. A comforting silence followed as she closed her eyes, enjoying the slight breeze.

"Mind if I join ya?"

Surprised, she blinked, looking to her left. Impmon stood there, rubbing the back of his head while glancing away. After a moment of thought, Mikami nodded. He sat down beside her, staring at the starlight sky. She closed her eyes again, enjoying the warm night.

"So, why are ya up?" Impmon asked, voice low to avoid waking the still sleeping human.

"Weird dream," she replied. It wasn't the complete truth, but she wasn't lying either. "Just wanted to clear my head before I went back to sleep."

"Ah." He shifted uncomfortably, tugging at his scarf. "So, who are these friends you're looking for?"

"Well, one's a smartass named Tadashi," she began, chuckling as she reopened her eyes. "He thinks he knows everything there is to know."

Impmon frowned at her, already despising the description he was getting. "Sounds annoyin'."

Mikami couldn't help but laugh, nodding in agreement. "Trust me, he is. But at least his sister, Shizuka, is there to put him in line. Physically speaking, she's the second strongest of our group. And it's best not to piss her off."

"I can imagine," he grumbled, shivering.

"Then there's Judai. He's pretty lazy. In fact, his hobby is playing video games. Yoko is…well, she's pretty happy-go-lucky and friendly. To be honest, she's the nicest one of us."

Impmon smirked, closing his eyes. "Ya guys are an odd bunch."

She frowned, smacking him on the back of the head. "Judging from what you guys told me about your friends, you are too."

He slapped her hand in return, only for her to smack him again. Sighing in defeat, he slouched. "I'm the weirdest one," he grumbled. "I'm the only Virus Digimon out of us six."

"How'd you meet them anyways?" She questioned, glancing at him. "Seems strange, now that I think about it."

A faraway look appeared in his eyes as he eyed the lake, folding his arms. "Well…"

0-0-0

_Stumbling over his own feet, the imp glanced over his shoulder, green eyes scanning the area behind him. Though there was no sign of the Digimon that had been pursing him, he knew better than to believe that the massive Digimon was gone. Looking forward, he sucked in a ragged breath and ran forward, feet barely staying in contact with the ground. The sooner he got out of there and found shelter, the better. He didn't have it in him to run another day._

_A roar ahead of him cut him off. Skidding to a halt, Impmon stared, glancing behind him for a moment. His eyes widened when the sides of the canyon crumbled, blocking him path. He locked his eyes forward as a stomp shook the ground. A massive, black shape rose from the dust cloud in front of him. A wild mane ruffled in the wind as crimson eyes locked onto him. Slowly stepping backwards, Impmon shivered when the hulking form of a lion blotted out the light. The massive lion Digimon's dark form seemed to swallow all the light coming from behind, casting Impmon in a dark shadow._

"_So this is where you ran to," the Digimon growled, stomping forward._

"_What do ya want with me?" Impmon demanded, back slamming into the rock pile. Frantic, he gripped a rock in one of his hands. "Why are ya chasin' me?"_

"_I have orders to take you," his opponent growled, pointing a poisoned red claw at him. "And I will take you."_

"_Diamond Storm!"_

_Impmon jumped when the voice rang out. As he watched, a golden fox jumped into the air, flinging her arms open to release the attack. The massive Digimon swung around to swat her away, but she disappeared. A few moments later, a purple furred Digimon appeared in between him and Impmon. _

"_Metal Cannon!"_

_Metal orbs shot out of the Digimon's mouth, hitting MadLeomon in the side of the face. Swinging around, the dark lion roared. The little Digimon simply smiled, not at all intimidated, as an orange blur slammed into the ground in front of him. Impmon gaped as he realized it was a Leomon. The lion pulled back a fist, eyes blazing with anger at his dark, undead counterpart._

"_Your tyranny ends here, fiend!" He declared. "Fist of the Beast King!"_

_Leomon swung his fist forward, causing energy to burst outwards in the form of a lion head. It slammed into MadLeomon, sending him crashing backwards. He began to fade immediately, Leomon absorbing his data with a frown. The fox Digimon appeared beside Impmon, arms folded, as the purple Digimon trotted forward, tail twitching back and forth. After a moment, Leomon spun and approached Impmon, kneeling._

"_Uh…thanks?" Impmon muttered._

_Leomon nodded. "You are uninjured?" When the imp muttered a positive answer, he smiled. "That is good. We came in time."_

_Impmon glanced at the other two Digimon, blinking. "So, uh…who're ya guys?"_

"_Renamon, at your service," the fox said in greeting, bowing._

"_Dorumon!" The other announced happily. "And this is Leomon."_

"_I guessed that one," Impmon replied, leaning back. "There a reason you saved me?"_

"_Even if we hadn't learned you were deemed a Chosen One," Leomon stated, "we would have saved you. You were in danger, after all."_

"_Oh, you're one of those goody two-shoes," Impmon growled. "Well, thanks again, but I'm going."_

_Renamon stepped forward to intercept him. "You cannot. As Leomon mentioned, you are also one of the Chosen. You must come with us."_

0-0-0

Yoko stared out at the dark night, sitting at the mouth of the cave while she eyed the blue moon that was disappearing on the horizon. Leomon rested beside her, arms and legs folded while he quietly dozed. He had been awake for most of the night, so upon waking, Yoko decided to relieve him. Though it took a few good minutes of arguing, she had gotten him to agree with her. It had mostly been due to the point she made about the ineffectiveness of a tired guardian. She glanced at him for a moment, making sure he was asleep, before watching as Salamon trotted forward. The small puppy Digimon settled into Yoko's lap with a small smile and a yawn, closing her eyes and snuggling up to the human. Yoko smiled, rubbing her new friend's head. The Digimon briefly opened a single eye to look at her partner, then shut it again, deciding that it was okay to rest.

Silently, Yoko wished Mikami and Daiki were there with them. Shizuka was strong, but without their leader, it wasn't the same. Mikami had always been the glue that kept them together, just like how they helped her to recover from her past. After so many years of being together, being separated they way they were felt like their group had been torn apart. After all, the group had been friends for nearly a decade now- not counting Judai, who they befriended a few years ago.

"Do not worry yourself."

Yoko, surprised, glanced at Leomon. He was fully awake, smiling gently at her. "I do apologize, but I did get some sleep thanks to you." He shifted, sliding closer to her and placing a paw on her shoulder. "Your friends are fine, I assure you. They are with Impmon and Renamon. That much I am sure."

"How can you be so sure?" Yoko asked.

"You landed near us," Salamon spoke up, head still resting on Yoko's thigh. "Most likely they landed near Impmon and Renamon."

"Salamon is correct," Leomon grunted. "They will be fine."

"A-alright," Yoko murmured, looking down. "I believe you. I'm just worried. Mikami and Daiki have their share of problems…and, well, I'm always worrying about them."

"Renamon is sensible," Salamon reassured her, raising up her head. "She and Impmon will protect your friends."

Smiling, Yoko stated, "I'm more worried about what Daiki will do to anyone who hurts Mikami."

Leomon chuckled softly as she glanced forward. The sun had just begun to rise, lighting the sky and dismissing the stars. The lion pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, striding farther into the cave to wake the others. Yoko turned around to watch him as he woke the others, humans and Digimon together. Judai, yawning, stood and walked over. Tadashi was stumbling as he made his way forward, and Shizuka looked annoyed, rubbing at her eyes. The Digimon fared better, stretching out their muscles with a varying degree of alertness in their eyes. Yoko smiled at Shizuka as the older girl sat beside her, legs and arms crossed. Tadashi and Judai settled against the cave wall, already beginning to doze off again. Leomon took a few steps forward to position himself outside, scanning for possible opponents.

"So…who exactly is this _'enemy' _we're supposed to fight?" Shizuka asked.

"Not much is known about the Digimon we are opposing," Leomon replied in answer, pausing. "The enemy forces refer to this Digimon as the Master. The Master has an extensive army, though most are Champion level. Very few have surpassed Champion to become Ultimate, and so far there are no Mega level Digimon in the Master's army. Most Mega level Digimon in the world were captured or reformatted. None served or now serve the Master, as far as I know."

"Isn't that great," Shizuka grumbled. Sighing, she pinched her nose. "We need to find our friends."

"Indeed," Tadashi agreed, yawning. "We can only combat this threat as a whole team."

"Depending on where they are," Biyomon began, contemplating, "then they could either head for the Village of Beginnings or Root Village."

"With the direction they were heading, I'd say Root Village," Salamon muttered. "But they know we're closer to the Village of Beginnings, so it's more likely they'll be heading this way. In any case, it's best if we head there instead of Root Village. It was our intended destination, after all."

"Salamon is correct," Leomon stated, leaning against the cave entrance. "It is safer for us if we head northward to the Village of Beginnings. Rumor travels fast through there. If anyone has seen the others, we will hear it there."

"Shizuka?" Yoko whispered, looking at the older girl.

Shizuka tapped her finger against her lips with a thoughtful look, obviously debating over the conversation. After a moment, she stood, hands on her hips, and looked around at the others.

"I agree with Leomon. Village of Beginnings definitely sounds like our best option at this point." She paused, glaring at the two male humans. "If no one has objections."

Judai shrugged casually while Tadashi shook his head, obviously not wanting an argument.

"Okay. It's decided then. We're off to the Village of Beginnings!" She paused as her stomach rumble. She smiled sheepishly. "Food first though, 'kay?"

0-0-0

The sun seemed to rise quickly as Mikami yawned, sitting up. The makeshift camp they had created was nearly invisible. As she watched, Daiki poured water over the smoldering remains of the fire. A waft of steam drifted upwards for a few moments before disappearing completely. The boy glanced at her briefly, raising an eyebrow as he motioned for her to get up. She groaned, standing, and rubbed at her eyes. Renamon approached them from the side, Impmon with her, and frowned.

"We will need to leave quickly," she stated. "It seems patrols have been through here. We are lucky they did not see the fire."

"Crap," Daiki muttered, rubbing his temples. "Which direction did they go?"

"Northeast," Renamon answered.

"We'll be heading more in a westward direction anyways," Impmon added. "We need to get to the Village of Beginnings. The others are probably heading there."

"So we can find our friends there," Mikami muttered, placing her hands on her hips. "Alright, but can we set out after some breakfast?"

Daiki chuckled while Impmon smirked. Renamon, after a moment, nodded.


	5. 4 - Fearful Happening

As per usual, I do not own Digimon, never have, most likely never will. On to the chapter!

* * *

"Tell me…how is it that you and Mikami became friends?"

Daiki blinked, glancing over at Renamon. The bipedal fox had a contemplating look on her face, eyeing the girl walking in front of the duo. Mikami was laughing at a joke made by Impmon, who had turned to her with his cheeks puffed outwards and tongue hanging out. Daiki wordlessly looked at his friend, a small smile on his face to see her genuinely happy.

He couldn't blame Renamon for asking. Despite sharing a few personality traits, Mikami didn't outwardly appear to be the kind of person to be a friend to him.

"We met when we were kids," he answered, folding his arms. "Though we weren't close. I just thought she was cute, so when she scraped her knee one day, I used it as an excuse to talk to her."

A laugh burst from Renamon's snout, causing him to glance over with a wry grin. Sarcasm dripping from his voice, he said, "Oh, I know, believe me. I grew up to be a complete Casanova."

"Indeed, you have her wrapped around your finger," Renamon replied with a smirk. "Tell me, when did you become friends?"

"Let's see…" He paused, tapping his finger against his chin. "She was about nine when we actually started to hang out. It was after she had been adopted by the sheriff…"

"Adopted?"

"She lost her birth parents," he muttered under his breath. He wouldn't tell the whole truth in that matter, because it was something that was a thin string for Mikami. Sighing, he continued. "The sheriff lived near me, so Mikami and I saw a lot of eachother. We just naturally became friends."

"I can see why," Renamon replied, watching the girl reach down to push Impmon to the side. Impmon huffed and smacked away her hand in retaliation. "You are different, yet alike."

"What about you and Impmon?" Daiki questioned.

"When it had been just Leomon, Dorumon and I, we rescued Impmon from a MadLeomon," she grunted, smile. "He refused to come with us at first. After a convincing slap, he finally came with us."

"You smacked him, huh?" Daiki mumbled, stifling a laugh.

Renamon smirked for a moment before her mouth turned downwards into a frown. She stopped, ears perking up and twitching. Daiki paused, looking at her with a questioning glance. Mikami had stopped in her tracks as she eyed Impmon, who was staring back the way they came with an annoyed expression on his face. A few moments later, Renamon's fur seemed to spike, standing on end, as she spun around to glare into the forest shadows.

"Something is coming," Renamon hissed.

"Damn it, can't have one good day," Impmon snarled, shifting to guard Mikami. "Renamon, knock down some trees. We gotta get outta here."

Renamon nodded wordlessly, accepting the order without complaint. Her feet lashed out as she dashed from tree to tree, snapping the trunks. Within seconds, she was beside Daiki again as the trees toppled to form a temporary wall between them and whatever was after them. Whipping around, Renamon seized Daiki by the arm and was dashing away, Mikami and Impmon hot on her tail. Daiki forced his legs to keep up with the bipedal fox, eyes locked ahead. Whatever was chasing them was in a group; he could hear the sound of mismatched footsteps.

"Pick it up!" Mikami snapped from behind him. A few moments later and she was bounding ahead of him. "Those things are coming over our tree wall!"

Daiki dared a quick glance back and blinked. Strange, plant-like bipedal Digimon were swinging over the trees using vines from their hands. They looked almost sickly in appearance, the green of their body a wilted color and the purple of the flower on their head dismal in color. The other Digimon were a deep purple with white underbellies. They looked somewhat pudgy in appearance, but what surprised him most were the bat-like ears they were using to fly. On the other hand, they could be wings.

Shaking off the thought while swallowing, he looked forward again and blanched, the blood visibly draining from his face. Mikami skidded to a halt, feet barely stopping in time to avoid the drop in front of her. Renamon grabbed her arm to steady the girl while Impmon let out a string of what Daiki assumed to be Digimon curses. They were standing on a sheer cliff with a drop that Daiki estimated to be at least a hundred feet. The only thing in front of them was open air and the sight of trees below. Spinning around, he could see the strange Digimon inching closer with every second that passed.

It was fight or flight. At this point, fight seemed to be the better option. He didn't feel like jumping off a cliff to certain doom.

Sliding his Digivice from his pocket, he glanced at Renamon. She returned the look with a nod of agreement, stepping forward to stand between the approaching Digimon and the Humans. Mikami, sighing, grabbed her Digivice as well. Impmon hopped forward, gloved fists clenched as he prepared himself for battle, though a pleased look was painted across him face.

Standing beside Daiki, Mikami eyed her Digivice and frowned. "Alright, Digivice…Enemy info?"

The device beeped as the screen lit up, projecting a circular hologram with a picture of the plant Digimon on it. Grumbling under her breath, she eyed the information with a frown. Daiki eyed it as well, though he couldn't properly read the writing.

"That plant is Aruraumon. Rookie level, Virus type." The image shifted, showing the flying purple Digimon. "Second one is Tsukaimon, and other Rookie Virus." The hologram disappeared as she huffed.

"Sounds easy to handle," Daiki replied, though his uncertainty was showing on his face. "Can you guys take them?"

"Easy fight," Impmon stated, grinning.

"We may have some trouble," Renamon disagreed, briefly hitting Impmon on the head. "There are approximately twenty of them, or more."

"Fantastic," Daiki hissed, clutching the Digivice tighter in his hands.

"Just when we need the others," Mikami growled in agreement. "Our luck."

0-0-0

The group barreled through the forest, dodging around trees and jumping over roots as fast as they could. Shizuka dashed at the rear of the group, keeping an eye out behind them. They were making good progress, but she could still feel the ground tremble beneath her feet. She knew they couldn't outrun their pursuer long enough to find someplace safe. The would have to stand and fight eventually-it was only a matter of time as to when they would.

_Curse that Greymon!_ Shizuka thought vehemently as she gritted her teeth.

The massive Digimon had somehow tracked them down not long after they left the cave. As such, it had been chasing them for a good while. She knew they couldn't risk a fight, Leomon or no, because of the others. They could easily get got in the crossfire and get hurt. If they didn't fight soon though… She swore under her breath for the situation they were in, glaring ahead angrily. They did need to fight; she would just have to make sure the others were out of harm's reach when Leomon tangled with the massive annoyance.

Picking up speed and leaping over a downed tree, she caught up with the others, finding herself beside the lion Digimon. Glancing at him, she frowned.

"Listen, Leomon, we need to find a clearing," she grumbled. "We can't keep running. We've got to fight it."

"I agree," he grunted, glancing over his shoulder.

"Good. Just make sure you're careful," she muttered. "I won't have anyone but that Greymon getting hurt."

Smiling lightly, he replied, "I'll do my best."

She turned her attention to her partner, who had swooped down to fly beside her. "Biyomon, can you scoop out a clearing?"

"On it!" The pink bird said, disappearing in the air.

"Shizuka, what're you up to?" Yoko asked, concern in her eye.

"It had better not be dangerous," Salamon muttered.

Shizuka flashed her a brief grin. "Don't worry. Once we get to a better place, Leomon is taking him down."

"Good," Judai puffed. "I'm tired of being tired of running."

"Me too," Dorumon agreed.

Tadashi and Gabumon rolled their eyes at the same time as Shizuka, who looked forward. Biyomon cut down through the foliage, appearing beside her.

"I found a clearing just up ahead," she reported.

Shizuka nodded. "Good." She looked to Leomon, raising an eyebrow. "Ready?"

He grunted a 'yes' as they burst into the clearing. Shizuka grabbed Yoko and Judai by the hand, dragging them to the far side with Tadashi following close behind. Leomon paused near the middle, spinning around. The Greymon soon followed, making the ground tremble as it stomped its massive feet. Locking eyes with the enemy, Leomon crouched, a low growl escaping his mouth. The Greymon roared, lashing its massive tail back and forth.

"Move, kitty, before I crush you," the Digimon snarled.

"You will not harm these children," Leomon stated, narrowing his eyes.

"Fine. I warned you."

The Greymon lunged, feet causing the ground below to tremor. Leomon dodged to the left, rolling across the grass, as the dinosaur swung its massive tail. As soon as he felt the accompanying air caused by the movement, Leomon raised up, kneeling on the ground. The tail soon came back, slicing through the air. Leomon ducked his head down, waiting until it passed over him. He stood as soon as it had, wrapping an arm around the appendage. Digging his claws into the dirt, he pulled, pivoting on his feet to drag the Greymon through the air.

The Greymon slammed into its side, though was quick to get back on its feet, roaring.

"Fire Wall!"

Flames gathered in its mouth until it released them, causing the blaze to spread outwards. It stretched to form a literal wall of fire that was quickly surrounding Leomon. Eyes locked on the fiery mass, the lion leapt upwards, flipping around. The flames barely missed him, the intense heat grazing against his fur. He rotated, angling himself as he hit the peek of his jump. The Greymon seemed to sense the coming kick, as it whipped its head upwards with a snarl and shot forward.

"Great Tooth!"

Knowing he wouldn't be able to move out of the way in time, Leomon braced himself. Pain flared through his leg as the Greymon latched onto his appendage, teeth digging in. He let out a hiss as he was flung through the air. He twisted, legs slamming into the ground as he landed, sliding backwards. He winced, hunching over to place a hand on the ground for a brief moment, taking in a deep breath. The Greymon was already lumbering towards him yet again, a vicious smirk on its face.

What was it about this Greymon that made it so strong? He knew the limitations of this species of Digimon well. It shouldn't have been possible for it to overpower him as easily as it just had, and barely into the fight.

A foot came crashing downwards, forcing Leomon to leap to the side. He rolled, stopping once he was a good distance away. He crouched, pushing away the pain from his leg injury. As the tail came around to smash the ground. Leomon lunged forward, whipping out his shortsword from the sheath on his back. He swung, the blade slicing through the tail, effectively cutting it in half. The Greymon bellowed in pain, remaining half of its tail twitching as the part of it that had been removed disintegrated. In a single moment, Leomon was in front of the beast, poised to strike.

When the Greymon snapped its jaw forward, Leomon jumped.

"Crushing Kick!"

The heel of his foot slammed into the Greymon's head, causing it to stagger backwards. However, before he even touched the ground, his opponent recovered. As soon as their eyes locked, Leomon felt the Greymon's head slam into his stomach. Within moments, the head butt sent him colliding with a tree, his sword skidding away.

"Leomon!" Yoko shouted as she made to step forward.

Tadashi, with Judai, held her back. "There's nothing you can do!"

"Yeah, he's right! Listen to him!"

"Yoko, please!" Salamon begged, as Gabumon muttered, "This is bad."

"Damn it!" Shizuka snapped. She turned her sights on the Greymon, furious. "I told him not to get hurt…"

The Greymon stomped forward, reaching down to grasp Leomon tightly in its clawed hands. The lion shoved against it, trying to escape. In response, his opponent smirked and tightened its grip. Leomon hissed in pain, narrowing his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

"For a so-called 'hero' among Digimon, you're a weakling," the Greymon chuckled. "I'm going to torture you before deleting you."

Leomon mustered the deadliest glare he could manage when Shizuka suddenly snapped, "No!"

The Greymon turned to look at her just as the Digivice in her hand sprung to life, light filtering out of it. Holding it tightly in her grip, she snarled.

"I will _not_ let you hurt my friend any longer!" She shouted. "I don't care who or what you are, you are _going down!_"

The light engulfed Biyomon, who began to shift, growing as she rose above the others with a cry of, "Biyomon, Digivolve to…!" As the light faded, a fiery bird hovered above the group, stating, "Birdramon!"

"Alright, Birdramon," Shizuka said. "Let's teach this overgrown lizard that you don't mess with the DigiDestined!"

"Mach Grinder!"

Birdramon dived downwards with an angry screech, talons outstretched. She slammed into the Greymon, digging her claws into the dinosaur's arms. The Digimon was forced to let go of Leomon, who crashed into the ground with a groan. Birdramon released the Greymon, spinning around mid-air while her enemy recovered. There was a shocked look on its face, as if it couldn't believe she had so easily landed a hit. That surprise turned to fury as it turned, arm lashing out to grab Birdramon. The bird simply rose higher into the air, avoiding the clawed hand.

As she dived back down to claw it again, the Greymon raised its hand and grabbed hold of her feet, trapping her. Squawking in irritation, she fought to get loose from its grip, digging her claws into its hands. The Greymon smirked, squeezing back in reply. It pulled, stepping backwards and dragging the bird with it. It stepped back, and with a growl, flung the bird away. Birdramon recovered, flaring out her wings to stop herself, and glared.

"You made a mistake hurting my friend," Birdramon warned.

"What are you going to do about it?" The Greymon replied in a taunting voice.

"Fire Storm!"

She flapped her wings, a stream of fire bursting outwards in front of her. The Greymon growled, raising its head.

"Nova Blast!"

The fiery ball cut slammed into the flaming streams, pushing back against them. Birdramon dodged out of the way as the attack connected with the trees, setting them ablaze. As she struggled to move away from the blaze, the Greymon charged, its head slamming into her stomach. She flipped backwards before righting herself, beating her wings furiously.

"Alright, Birdramon, let's end this!" Shizuka shouted.

Birdramon nodded, looking at the Greymon with an intense stare. She dove forward, slamming one of her feet into its face to knock it off balance. As it struggled to regain balance, she spread her wings.

"Meteor Wing!"

She swung her wings inward, throwing several small flaming meteors from them as she did so. They hurtled towards the Greymon, leaving behind a fiery trail. As soon as they impacted the Greymon, they exploded, sending it toppling over. Birdramon dropped down, slamming one of her clawed feet onto its stomach to pin it. Shizuka let out a soft growl as she stepped forward.

"I'm giving you two choices. Give up, stop working for the crazy asshat that's after us and live, or struggle and get deleted."

"Go to hell," the Greymon replied.

"Birdramon."

The bird nodded, raising her foot before slamming it onto the Greymon's head. Yoko looked away just as Birdramon crushed the dinosaur's head. Its entire body disintegrated, the data flowing into Birdramon as she glared at where her enemy had been. Shizuka turned her attention to Leomon, who was leaning against one of the nearby trees. Muttering choice words, she dashed over. Tadashi and Judai followed, along with their Digimon, leaving the stunned Yoko and Salamon to stand there. She opened her eyes, locking onto Birdramon with fear before hurrying over to where the others had gathered.

"Leomon!" Salamon whispered, eyeing the unconscious Digimon with apprehension.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Gabumon asked, looking up at his partner.

Tadashi, for once, was quiet, frowning. Judai fidgeted, Dorumon pacing around his feet. Shizuka bit her lip as she looked up at Birdramon.

"There's a healer at the village," Dorumon stated. "But…how are we gonna get there?"

"Do you have enough strength left to carry us all to the village?" She asked.

"Of course," Birdramon rumbled, crouching. "I can only carry so many on my back, however."

"We'll ride on your feet," Tadashi said. "We just need to get Leomon there."

Shizuka moved to kneel beside the injured Digimon, grabbing his arm to drape it over her shoulders. She glared at Tadashi until he moved to Leomon other side, mirroring his sister. The duo stood, pulled their friend up with them. With a grunt, they dragged him forward. Birdramon settled herself onto the ground as they paused beside her. Glancing at her brother, Shizuka let go and hopped onto her partner. She turned and crouched, reaching down.

"Come on," she said, frowning.

Tadashi nodded, lifting Leomon as far as he could into the air. Shizuka leaned forward, grasping the lion's arms tightly. Gabumon and Dorumon promptly happened onto Birdramon's back, sitting on either side of Shizuka to help in pulling their friend up. Once he was safely resting, Shizuka leaped down, landing beside her brother.

"Judai, Tadashi, you're riding on Birdramon's feet with me." She paused to look at Yoko, ignoring the indignant look from her twin. "Yoko, ride on Birdramon's back with Leomon."

"O-okay?" Yoko stuttered, confused, but only able to nod.

Tadashi groaned, while Judai stated, "As long as I can rest."

Shizuka rolled her eyes, promptly dragging Yoko up to Birdramon. With a boost, the younger girl was sitting on the Digimon's back, sitting near Leomon. Salamon and Dorumon joined her, the former of the two opting to lie beside her. As Birdramon stood, the others situated themselves on her feet. With a flap of her wings and a shriek from Yoko, they were airborne.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, Mikami and Daiki's part this time around was short, but it will be longer next chapter. The battle scene was terrible. Sorry. Never been too good at Digimon battles. I'm afraid the last half was written while I was sick (still am) so it's not quite as good at it usually would be. Hopefuly the next chapter will be better... Alert me to any glaring grammar or spelling mistakes, if you would.


	6. 5 - Three Primary Colors

Hey, everyone! Sorry for the late update. I do not own Digimon, yadda yadda, wish I did.

* * *

Impmon smirked, raising his clenched fists. Even though the battle wasn't going in their favor, he was enjoying himself. It had been awhile since they had faced any Digimon their level, which meant they had actually had a chance of winning the fight. Not to mention the fact these small fry weren't as tough as he had original thought, though they greatly outnumbered the duo and their partners.

He flicked his fingers up, fireballs hovering over each of them.

With a shout of, "Bada Boom!" Impmon threw the fireballs forward. Two hit an Aruraumon, setting the plant on fire, causing it to scream as it raced around. The other flames hit a duo of Tsukaimon, causing them to plummet to the ground and land on their suffering ally. The imp turned around as Renamon flashed past, slamming her foot into another Tsukaimon. His eye caught a trio of Aruraumon, when their vines suddenly lashed out and grabbed him by the arms. Renamon skidded to a stop, spinning around while jumping into the air.

Flinging her arms out, she shouted, "Diamond Storm!"

The leaves rained down on the vines, effectively cutting several of them. The trio yelled out in pain, releasing Impmon. Grinning, he raised his arms, palms facing the sky.

"Infernal Funnel!"

In front of him, two elementals materialized. One blazed like an inferno, wisps of fire curling off it. The other was made of ice, causing the air around it to steam. They charged forward, the flame taking the lead. As soon as it came within a foot of the fleeing trio, it let itself expand rapidly, causing them to burst into flames. The icy elemental floated upwards, sending a chilled blast that snuffed out the fire and instantly froze them. Impmon dashed forward, swinging his fists to shatter them.

"Impmon, behind you!"

At the sound of Mikami's voice, Impmon spun around, readying more fireballs as the elementals charged forward. A Tsukaimon, larger than most of the others, dived down and slammed into him before the elementals could stop it. He felt himself slam into the ground, and then the momentum caused him to roll backwards. As soon as he came to a stop, he felt more vines wrap around him. Wincing, he watched as the ice elemental froze the Tsukaimon solid while the flame rushed past him, setting the vines on fire. Wrenching himself free, Impmon stood. The elementals winked out of existence while Impmon turned, throwing several fireballs at the Aruraumon.

Renamon paused, ears twitching as she glanced at her friend. Assured that he was safe, she faced the group of two Aruraumon and three Tsukaimon, eyeing them carefully. An Aruraumon lashed out, causing her to leap into the air. Her foot connected sharply with a Tsukaimon, sending it flipping into a tree. She spun, the heel of her other foot knocking another Tsukaimon into the third, causing them to crash to the ground. She landed onto the ground, dashing forward to punch both Aruraumon.

More took their place within moments. Gritting her teeth, Renamon flipped backwards, avoiding a Tsukaimon. She swung her foot up to the side, knocking of the purple Digimon away. Letting the momentum carry her, she cart wheeled, stopping once she was standing on her forepaws. Twisting around caused her to begin to spin, kicking several of the flying pests. She slowed herself, shoving upwards to propel herself into the air. A downward kick sent one of the Tsukaimon crashing into an Aruraumon. She landed and ducked, avoiding the vines of one of the plants.

With only the two of them, Renamon was beginning to doubt they could win. The group of enemy Digimon numbered far more than she had originally estimated. At the rate they were going, they would become exhausted and be defeated. Impmon might have been enjoying himself at that moment, but she knew he would realize that they were in over their heads with this fight.

Nevertheless, they had to protect their partners, no matter what happened.

"Pyro Sphere!"

Renamon tensed, spinning around just to watch as a crimson fireball slammed into a Tsukaimon, knocking it to the ground as it burned. Three more followed, setting the group of Aruraumon that had been in front of her on fire and knocking two other Tsukaimon out of the sky. A red, dinosaur-like Digimon stormed towards her from her right, bowling the Virus types down. He came to a stop beside her, a lopsided grin on his face that made her blink.

"I came to help!" The Digimon stated, whipping his head around to look at their opponents. "I'm Guilmon."

"Renamon," she replied. "It's a pleasure. Shall we?"

She motioned to the group in front of her, nodding a nod and a second grin. Guilmon let out a growl, charging forward and head butting an Aruraumon. Renamon leaped to the side, roundhouse kicking a Tsukaimon, which sent it crashing through a nearby tree.

"Terrier Tornado!"

Impmon visibly jumped at the voice, preparing to throw a fireball, when a small, green tornado whipped past him and sent several of the Digimon that had been antagonizing him flying. Just as the mini-twister disappeared, another Digimon landed beside him. The green bunny cracked his small fists, his long ears partially lifted as the stunned group stared at him.

"Yo, thought you could use the help," the Digimon said, giving Impmon a side glance. "Terriermon's the name. Don't wear it out."

"Yeah, thanks," the imp replied, frowning. "Let's just fight."

"Fine by me!"

Impmon flicked his fingers, tossing fireballs forward that rained down on the enemies. Glancing behind him, he could see Renamon and another Digimon fighting the remains of the second group. Smirking, he lunged forward with Terriermon, jumping into the air.

"Machine Gun Kick!"

His foot connected sharply with a Tsukaimon before he began a rapid onslaught of kicks, slamming the Digimon into the group. He spun, watching as Terriermon blasted an Aruraumon away with an exclamation of, "Bunny Blast!"

"Pillars of Fire!"

Several fiery columns burst out from beneath the stunned Digimon, engulfing them in flames. He smirked as the fire died down, watching as many of his opponents burst into data that he quickly absorbed. Within moments, the green and white rabbit was back to pounding opponents, sending them flying into the air with his ears. Feeling left out, Impmon kicked several of the plants in the face, grinning widely as he did so. Grabbing one by the vines, he spun it around, knocking back its kin and the flying purple Digimon gleefully. Once he was no longer surrounded, Impmon lit the Aruraumon on fire.

Terriermon glanced at him, causing the imp to nod. He made his way towards Renamon just as she punched a Tsukaimon. Gathering his strength, Impmon sent fireballs flying at the last group of plants, along with Guilmon, igniting them and finishing off the last of their annoyances.

Daiki and Mikami were quick to dash over, both holding their Digivices. Grinning, Mikami kneeled to wrap her arms around Impmon with a laugh.

"Hey, hey!" He protested, trying to push her away.

Renamon chuckled as Daiki shook his head. Pausing, she turned to Terriermon and Guilmon, the former of the two having jumped to sit on the dinosaur's head.

"Excuse me, but why did you assist us?" She asked.

Waiting for an answer, she folded her arms. Mikami let go of Impmon, raising her head to look at the duo as Daiki sighed, pinching his nose. Impmon scowled, taking a few steps forward.

"Yeah, why did ya?"

Terriermon shrugged, causing Guilmon to grin.

"Eh, you looked like you could use a bit of help," the bunny replied.

"Anyway we could repay you?" Mikami asked, standing and dusting herself off. "We're heading for a nearby village, but if there's anything we could do…"

"We're looking for a friend, but she can take care of herself. Why don't we come with you to the village?" Terriermon offered.

"If you're sure," Daiki replied, glancing at his partner.

Renamon nodded.

"Alright then, to the village," Mikami stated, before pausing. "We're still going to help you search, though."

0-0-0

The feel of the wind on her face was relaxing, but no matter what, every time she glanced down at Leomon, she felt the relaxation melt to be replaced by fear and worry. The lion was still unconscious and hadn't moved for all the time they were in the air. Fidgeting with her fingers, Yoko sighed quietly and stared down at the passing trees. Deep down, she knew they injuries weren't life-threatening, but they were still serious.

"We're nearing the village," Birdramon rumbled.

Blinking, Yoko looked up to see a clearing in the trees occupied by small huts, all centered around what looked to be a spring. Salamon, sitting near her, popped her head up to take a glance, relief in her eyes.

"Good," Gabumon said.

"Fly faster!" Shizuka promptly complained from below. "Come on, Birdramon!"

"Alright," the bird muttered, annoyed at her partner's insistence. "Hold on tightly."

Yoko let out a shriek as they suddenly accelerated in speed, zipping forward as wind sailed past her, dragging her hair back out of her face. As Birdramon rushed through the air, the frightened teenager screamed.

* * *

This should've been update over a week ago. Sorry. Life and all that. It'll be awhile until the next update. Hunt me down if you want. ^^ Sorry about the short chapter, too. Next chapter will be longer. This one was mostly just Mikami/Daiki anyways.


	7. 6 - Reunion

As always, I don't own Digimon. Enjoy!

* * *

"Thank you for this," Yoko mumbled.

There was relief in her voice as she talked to Cutemon. The pink rabbit-like Digimon simply smiled at the girl in understanding, having sympathy for her and her friends' current situation. Yoko twiddled her thumbs and glanced at Leomon worriedly. The lion was resting comfortably on the bed in the corner, sleeping. Cutemon had healed the worst of hiss injuries to the best of her ability. The teenager had no doubt that he would pull through, but she was still on edge simply thinking about it. She hoped he would make a full recovery with Cutemon's help. Not only did they need his help, but he was their friend, and she had no desire to lose a friend.

"He'll be fine," Cutemon said, practically reading the girl's mind. "I've known him for years, Yoko. He's not going down from that, I assure you."

She nodded. "I-I know. I just worry."

Cutemon smiled. "You're a good friend, child."

The redhead blushed, covering her face with her hands. "T-thank you."

There was a sudden knock on the door. It opened slightly, familiar lilac hair appearing in the crack. Shizuka glanced at the Digimon sleeping, then to Yoko and Cutemon. She motioned to them, opening the door more. Cutemon nodded, heading out the door as the older teenager opened it wider. Yoko followed with a brief glance at Leomon. Once in the hallway, Shizuka closed the door and turned towards where the entrance room was.

"You've got a visitor," she stated.

Cutemon sighed, quickly making her way down the hallway. Shizuka promptly turned to Yoko, a look of concern on her face.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Y-yes," Yoko muttered quietly. "Just…worried is all."

Shizuka raised a hand to ruffle the young girl's hair. "Yeah, I am too. We all are. He'll be fine, though. Promise."

"Right," Yoko grunted, nodding.

Shizuka looped her arm through Yoko's and pulled her forward, leading her to the front room. Cutemon was talking with another Digimon nearly her height. The bunny was brown, marked with light pink stripes, and had long ears and touched the floor. As the duo entered, the two Digimon glanced at them. Cutemon turned, holding her hand out to the two Humans with a small smile.

"These are two of the DigiDestined," she stated. "Shizuka and Yoko. Their friends are elsewhere right now, and I hear there are two more."

The bunny Digimon bowed respectfully. "My name is Lopmon. It's a pleasure."

"I'm going to go find Tadashi and Judai," Shizuka said, looking to Cutemon. "Shout if you need us, okay? Come on, Yoko!"

"W-What?" Yoko exclaimed.

Shizuka simply grinned, dragging the startled teenager out the door forcibly. Lopmon tilted her head to the side in obvious confusion, glancing at Cutemon from the corner of her eye. The healer simply let out a laugh, shaking her head, and turned to the confused Digimon with a smile.

"Is she always like that?" Lopmon asked, looking up.

"In the short time I've known her to be, yes," Cutemon replied, closing her eyes. "Concerning your current situation, I believe you have no need to worry."

Lopmon blanked. "Huh?"

"I will explain. You see, there are six DigiDestined. You say you and your friends got separated in the forest, no? I have no doubt that they will run into Shizuka's friends and get help from them." Cutemon sat down in one of the chairs. "For now, relax. Are you hungry?"

00

Yoko glanced around the small village, looking at the wooden huts with curiosity. Shizuka simply pulled her towards the edge of town, where a pool of water was situated with rocks surrounding most of it. Tadashi and Judai were there, soaking their feet in the liquid and leaning back, their shoes haphazardly tossed to the side. The older of the girls forced the redhead to sit nearby and situated herself beside her brother with a yawn. She slipped off her shoes, followed by Yoko, and the two stuck their feet in the water.

"Wonder when they're going to show up," Tadashi said with a sigh.

"Wish I knew," Shizuka grumbled.

"Give them some time," Judai replied.

"Mikami and Daiki have never let us down before," Yoko stated, smiling. "They're not going to now, especially when we're in another world."

Shizuka chuckled. "Yeah…I guess so."

They sat there in silence for some time, enjoying the quiet and the feel of the water. After a while, Shizuka stretched and pulled her shoes close to her.

"Alright, I need some food, and I want to check up on lion boy," she said.

Using her hands to push herself up, she stood, slipped her shoes on, and walked towards the healer's house. The others followed slowly, getting up one by one and jamming their shoes on. Yoko trailed behind for a moment, glancing towards the forest before shaking her head and dashing after the others.

Shizuka had already entered Cutemon's home by the time caught up. She was last to enter, silently closing the door behind her. Lopmon jumped up and sat on the nearby table, looking up at the oldest female with pleading eyes.

"May I ask you something?" She requested.

Shizuka waved her hand at the Digimon. "Go ahead."

"Did you by any chance see two Digimon during your time I the forest?" Lopmon asked. "A Guilmon and a Terriermon?"

Tadashi shook his head, stating, "I'm sorry, but we did not see them. Are they your friends?"

"Yes, they are," she replied, looking down. "We got separated awhile ago and I haven't been able to find them…"

"Mikami and Daiki probably found them," Judai muttered, yawning.

"They do have a habit of running into people," Yoko mumbled, pursing her lips. "I'm sure they safe with our friends, Lopmon."

"Still…," the bunny mumbled.

0~0~0

"How far is this village again?" Mikami questioned with a sigh.

She wasn't sure how long they had been traveling now, but she was sure that it had been at least a few hours. Impmon had said that they would be there within an hour. However, that estimation was proving to be wrong. It was either that or he mixed up his directions and they were even more lost-which wouldn't surprise her at all. Daiki seemed to be thinking the same thing, shooting an annoyed look at the short Digimon now and again. Guilmon and Terriermon were oblivious to it, joking with each other now and again about things they had done before arriving in the forest.

"Shaddup," Impmon snapped. "We're not going as fast as I thought we would, okay?"

"That doesn't answer my question," she said flatly, sighing. "Renamon, are we almost there?"

"Yes," the fox replied.

"Huh," Daiki grunted. "That's what Impmon said two hours ago."

"So what?!" The imp growled. "I'm used to how fast I traveled with the others, not humans."

"Boys, shut up," Mikami hissed, "or I'll close your mouths for you. Let's just hurry so we can get back to our friends, _okay_?"

The two males glanced at each other, looked to Mikami, then promptly turned away quietly. Terriermon snickered at the brief argument as Guilmon laughed.

"There, look," Renamon said, motioning forward. "I can see the village now."

Mikami smiled in relief, scooping up Impmon. He objected at first until the group began and dash towards the nearest building. Renamon disappeared ahead, most likely checking on the situation of the village. Guilmon, with Terriermon riding on his head, ending up passing by the two humans. Daiki couldn't help but let out a frustrated grunt when the red dinosaur passed them, but glanced at Mikami.

"Oh, calm down," she muttered. "It's not that bad."

Within moments they were out of the forest and in the village. Renamon faded into existence in front of them, standing next to the troublesome duo that had accompanied them. After a moment, the duo waved and walked off in search of their friend. The fox turned, looking at a large wooden home with a sign near it that said, "Healer's Home." Without saying anything, she calmly walked towards it. With no other choice, the two humans followed, Mikami placing Impmon back on to the ground. The purple Digimon grumbled in annoyance, kicking at the dirt.

"Think the others are here?" He asked.

"Most likely," Renamon replied.

"Then Shizuka will be here with everyone, too," Mikami mumbled, folding her arms. "Good. I've been dying to seem them again."

"Yeah, no kidding," Daiki grumbled. "It's felt like forever already. Two days or so now, right?"

"Unfortunately," the brunette answered. "Hope they're okay."

"As long as Leomon was with them, they'll be fine," Impmon said with a smirk.

Blinking, Mikami looked at him curiously. "Who exactly is Leomon? You guys haven't told us."

"He's the one that first started to find the Digimon who would be partners to you DigiDestined," Renamon stated. "If he is here, you will be able to meet him."

As they began to near the healer's house, a large pink bird suddenly appeared within view. Renamon and Impmon turned to look. Neither expected the bird to barrel into Impmon with excited and joyful cries. Three other Digimon came to investigate, and soon both Renamon and Impmon were being hugged and tackled by the group. The dog-like Digimon looked up at the two humans and dashed over to them with a grateful look.

"You brought Impmon and Renamon back!" She shouted happily. "Thank you so much!"

"They didn't bring me back, I brought them!" Impmon replied indignantly.

"You're ruining the moment," Renamon scolded.

Mikami crouched in front of the small Digimon and smiled. "You most be their friends. Are you partner Digimon like them, too?"

The Digimon nodded. "I'm Salamon, and I'm Yoko's partner. You must be Mikami and Daiki."

"That we are," Daiki confirmed. "Let me guess…Yoko talked about us a lot?"

Salamon giggled. "That she did. Oh! Let me introduce you to the others.

She turned, trotting over to the tangled mess of Digimon. The pink bird peeled herself away from an annoyed Impmon, followed by the quadruped, who shook his purple furred body. The lizard wearing the blue fur was last, grinning sheepishly at the two humans. Salamon paused to stand at the front, facing Mikami.

"These are my friends Biyomon, Dorumon, and Gabumon," she greeted. "Let's hurry to Cutemon's house. Yoko will be so happy to see you!"

She spun on her heels and dashed away, followed by the trio. Impmon picked himself off the ground with a groan as Renamon dusted off her fur. Mikami chuckled, glancing at Daiki.

"Well, ladies first," he muttered. "Come on."

Mikami nodded and walked towards the house, where the group of Digimon were waiting. Impmon grumpily followed, grumbling about having been tackled. As they reached the steps with Daiki and Renamon in two, Biyomon opened the door. Four sets of eyes turned to them immediately. Silence followed before the fiery haired girl dashed forward and flung her arms around Mikami, burying her face in the older girl's shoulder immediately upon wrapping her arms around the brunette. Mikami chuckled, rubbing Yoko's head affectionately.

"Finally reunited," Tadashi commented. "I'm glad to see you two are safe."

"Took you long enough, though!" Shizuka shouted. "Jeez, we've been here for a day now."

"Blame our navigator," Mikami said, glancing down at Impmon.

He blushed furiously. "Shut up."

"Anything happen while we were gone?" Daiki asked.

Yoko peeled herself away from Mikami, glancing down at the floor. Judai looked away, sitting down in a chair. Tadashi coughed uncomfortably, shifting. Shizuka, sighing, looking at Impmon and Renamon with a serious face.

"You might want to come with me," she said, gaze going to Mikami and Daiki. "It's a long story."

The two eldest glanced at each other, a silent message passing between them. Renamon folded her arms as Impmon frowned, a hint of concern in his eyes. After a moment, the two humans nodded and followed Shizuka as the lilac haired teenager led them down the hallway. She stopped in front of one of the doors, grabbing the handle tightly. She was quick to open it, obviously not wanting to draw it out. As soon as she step foot into the room, Shizuka stepped aside. Impmon, jaw dropping, scurried up to the bed. Renamon calmly approached it, though there was an unmistakable look of anger on her face as her eyes landed on Leomon.

"Who…?" Mikami didn't finish, closing her mouth.

"What happened?" Impmon demanded, whipping around to glare at Shizuka.

"That stupid Greymon is what happened," she growled. "We couldn't keep running, so Leomon decided to fight him, but that asshole dinosaur had something boosting his power."

"How did you defeat him?" Renamon asked, still facing away from the humans.

Shizuka placed her hands on her hips. "Biyomon Digivolved. By that time, though, Leomon was injured. I should have done something sooner."

The fox looked off to the side. "You can't force Digivolution."

Daiki leaned against the doorway as Mikami slammed her fist against the door in anger.

"Of course this shit happens when we aren't around!" She hissed.

"He'll be fine," Shizuka said, sighing. "Cutemon healed him. She told us he just needed rest."

"Good," Impmon huffed. "I hope you deleted that sorry excuse for a lizard!"

She chuckled, looking at Mikami with a smirk. "I take it he's always like this," she guessed. "But, yeah, I did delete him, and Biyomon absorbed his data."

"It is good to hear that Leomon will make a full recovery," Renamon grunted, spinning on her heel. "I am going to converse with the others."

She promptly marched out of the room. Daiki glanced at Mikami with a small smile before following his partner. Sitting down in a the chair at the foot of the bed, Mikami looked at Shizuka. The younger teenager settled on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs. Impmon made his way over to Mikami and hopped onto the armrest, leaning against the brunette.

"So," Shizuka said, "what happened with you guys?"

Mikami huffed. "Well, we fell through the sky and ended up in a lake. After we met Impmon and Renamon, we got attacked by a mob of Digimon."

"We whooped 'em," Impmon stated.

"If it hadn't been for Terriermon and Guilmon, they would've whooped you," Mikami muttered.

"What?" Shizuka grunted, surprised "Did you say Terriermon and Guilmon?"

Perplexed, Mikami slowly said, "Yes…Why?"

"Their friend is here looking for them," Shizuka stated, standing. "They came into town with you, right?" She earned a nod in response. "Let's go find them, then, so we can get them reunited with Lopmon."

"You okay with that?" Mikami asked, looking at Impmon.

"Well, yeah, duh," Impmon replied.

Mikami rolled her eyes, following Shizuka as the teenager hurried out of the room. Upon entering the living room, the others came them questioning looks, though neither of the humans bothered to answer. Instead, they quickly exited the house. Biyomon followed behind just before Mikami shut the door and promptly settled herself on Shizuka's shoulder, pulling her wings in and looking at Impmon with a tilted head.

"Biyomon," Shizuka said, "do me a favor and fly around the village. We're looking for Guilmon and Terriermon."

Biyomon nodded, hopping off her partner's shoulder. "Ye ma'am!"

The pink bird flew off, disappearing behind a house. Mikami turned to Shizuka, placing her hands on her hips.

"Ladies first," she said.

The brunette smirked as the younger teenager, obviously finding the joke to be less than funny, frowned. Shizuka huffed and hurried down the steps. As soon as her feet touched ground, she kicked off into a jog. Mikami followed with Impmon close beside her, jumping down the small set of stairs. The imp chuckled, elbowing his partner in the leg while grinning. Deciding not to pay the small purple Digimon any mind, Mikami turned and headed off in the opposite direction as Shizuka, sprinting.

"Impmon, let's split up," Mikami grunted, looking at him.

"Alright," he grumbled.

Shizuka huffed, sliding as she turned a corner near a house. Pausing to let out a deep breath, she glanced back and forth. Finding a big red dinosaur and a white and green rabbit shouldn't be too difficult with this being a village, but she couldn't find them at all. If it wasn't for the fact that Lopmon begged them for help before Mikami and Daiki arrived, she wouldn't be searching in the first place. Hell, it was hard for her to believe she was even helping someone besides her friends.

_Next time, I'm saying no,_ she thought to herself, taking off again. _This is way too much trouble! I shouldn't be running around the village like a chicken-_

Her thoughts were cut short as she spun to change direction and found herself unable to stop in time as the form of a large, red Digimon appeared in her vision. A curse came from her mouth as she slammed into the dinosaur and was sent crashing to the ground. Muttering a few choice words, she rubbed her face and sat up, rubbing her nose, which now ached. A million thoughts were running in her mind of how she could deal with the offender as she stood. She opened her mouth to speak, pointing at the perpetrator when she stopped.

"Sorry!" The dinosaur said, frowning. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to run into you!"

Shizuka's hand slowly lowered as disbelief, annoyance, and partial anger flooded her mind. She had been running around looking for the idiotic duo when she just ended up running into them? Gripping her hands tightly into fists and trying not to curse at the two, she let out a deep, forced sigh.

"You're Guilmon and Terriermon, _**right?**_" She growled, forcing out the words.

"Yep, that's us," the bunny said. "Heard of us, huh? I'm not surprised, as I _am_ a lady's man."

The sound of his voice and his words caused her eye to twitch in irritation. Breathing deeply to calm herself, she looked at the dinosaur and ignored the annoying bunny.

"Your friend stopped by and was looking for you," she explained. "Digimon by the name of Lopmon."

"Lopmon!?" Guilmon exclaimed. "Where is she? We've been searching for her for days now! Is she around here?"

"Calm down, bud," Terriermon mumbled, chuckling. "He's hyper. You'll have to excuse him."

"Just…come with me," she growled. "She'll be at the healer's house by now…"

"Yay!" Guilmon shouted, jumping up and down.

Shizuka slapped her palm against her face with a groan.

00

"I couldn't find them," Mikami muttered, kicking at a rock and puffing out her cheeks. "I ran around for about ten minutes and didn't find a thing."

"Me neither," Impmon grumbled. "Where could they have gone off to?"

The duo glared at each other before Mikami let herself drop onto the front steps of the house. Impmon paced back and forth, mumbling in anger concerning their failure. His partner rolled her eyes, leaning back and sighing heavily. Tapping her foot on the ground, she stared at the clouds.

"Can't believe we couldn't find them," she mumbled.

"Mikami!"

Sitting up quickly at the sound of her name, she raised her head to see Shizuka saunter towards them. Behind her trailed Guilmon with Terriermon on his head. Letting out a relieved breath, Mikami jumped to her feet and tapped Impmon on the shoulder, earning a grin.

"Good job!" Mikami shouted, giving her friend a thumbs up.

Shizuka stopped in front of her, waving her hand. "I just ran into them. Literally. Let's just get inside."

"You've got good timing," Mikami said, smiling. "Lopmon came back just a few minutes ago."

Nodding, the lilac-haired girl hurried up the steps, Guilmon hopping up them after her. Mikami looked at Impmon with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged, not knowing what to say, and instead dashed up the stairs. Rubbing the back of her neck, Mikami sat back down as the sounds of excited shouting and laughing drifted from the house. She couldn't help but smile as she listened, though she didn't want to get in the middle of the reunion at the moment. She was content in just sitting and listening.

_Glad we were able to help them_, she thought, closing her eyes and leaning back. _Though, they could try __**not **__shouting so much._

Daiki, standing in the doorway, glanced down at the brown-haired teenager before watching as Lopmon and Terriermon danced on Guilmon's back. The teenager let out a deep sigh and shifted, exiting the building and closing the door behind him. Mikami, hearing the noise, looked up and watched as he trudged down the steps. As he reached the bottom, he sat down beside her, folding his arms.

"Don't like the party?" She teased.

He let out a heavy sigh. "Not my thing."

Giggling, she elbowed him and smiled, earning a small smirk in return. Raising his arm, he placed it around her shoulders and leaned against her. The two sat in (near) silence, enjoying the moment. After several days of travel, running from Digimon and dealing with fights, they deserved it. At least in Mikami's opinion, anyway. Especially now that they had finally found their friends. If anything, all of them could use about a week of rest after the hardships they had faced in their first few days in the Digital World. In fact, she planned on resting for about that long, because she was downright exhausted.

That, however, wouldn't go as planned, and she knew it.

"Help!"

She was immediately on her feet, surprised, and was followed by Daiki. The shout drew out the others, as the celebration suddenly ended and Shizuka was by the duo's side. Within mere moments, the others were there too, all their partners with them. Digimon came running past them, screaming as the sounds of destruction followed. Gritting her teeth, Mikami spun to see who was attacking and found her jaw dropping open.

One of the attacking Digimon was a Raremon. The moving lump of liquid garbage and waste was grabbing Digimon and practically drowning the poor defenseless monsters.

The second was a Shellmon. The massive pink monster swung its forelimbs, striking the villagers all while it laughed. The few that tried to strike back were met with it retreating into the shell on its back and hitting the rock hard shell.

Lastly, but no least, was a Monochromon. The grey and black dinosaur charged into buildings, causing them to collapse in on themselves. The few unfortunate Digimon who were in its path were met with a terrible fate as it trampled them.

Shizuka was already pulling out her Digivice, holding it up as she shouted an order at Biyomon. The pink bird nodded, taking off into the air and hovering above the trio of intruders. Light shone from the device, engulfing Biyomon. Soon enough, the bird had Digivolved to Birdramon and was diving at the trio with a screech.

"She can't take all of them on alone!" Mikami growled, looking at Shizuka.

"She'll be fine," Shizuka replied, gritting her teeth.

"Mikami's right, Shizuka," Tadashi warned, only to receive a glare.

Birdramon streaked downwards, her claws slamming into Shellmon's massive shell. The attack barely left a scratch, making the shelled Digimon lean to one side for only a moment before he righted himself. The flame bird circled around again for another attack, aiming at Monochromon. As she was about to hit him, Raremon shot sludge of his mouth. The purple goop clung to her face, covering her eyes. Monochromon lunged, slamming his head into her stomach.

The tackle sent them rolling across the ground. The dinosaur slammed his horn into her, causing her to squawk in pain. Retaliating, she dug her claws into his stomach and shoved him off, sending him crashing to the ground. As she rolled onto her stomach and stood, Shellmon charged. Birdramon, with a cry of pain, was sent crashing into one of the buildings.

"Birdramon!" Shizuka shouted, eyes wide.

The bird struggled to get back up, but Monochromon jumped on top of her, almost crushing her. Yoko stared in horror, clutching her Digivice to her chest. Mikami was furious, as was Impmon, but as her eyes rested on Daiki, she realized that she wasn't the only one. The oldest of the group was literally shaking, gripping his Digivice so tightly she was sure he would end up breaking it. Renamon, who stood near her partner, had her paws formed into fists and was glaring with anger that Mikami had never seen.

As Monochromon moved off of Birdramon, who was barely moving, Raremon opened his mouth. Green gas spewed from him, surrounding the immobile bird. Almost immediately, as she tried to breath, she inhaled the gas and began to cough and choke. Soon, she shrank back to Biyomon, and laid there unmoving.

"Is she…?" Judai didn't finish as Shizuka dropped her Digivice.

"Enough is enough!" Daiki roared, his Digivice glowing, just as Yoko cried out, "No!"

Light surrounded Renamon and Salamon as they ran forward. The others watched, mouths agape, as their forms shifted and changed. Soon enough, a quadruped fox and bipedal cat appeared, charging the trio. Kyubimon spread out her nine tails, eyes blazing, and tackled Shellmon with enough force to send him flying backwards. Blue flame winked into existence in front of her tails, forming into spheres. Shellmon pushed himself back into a standing position, grumbling angrily.

"Fox Tail Inferno!"

The fireballs sailed forward, striking Shellmon and exploding. The Digimon stumbled backwards, smoke rising from him. As he recovered, Kyubimon rushed forward, electricity surrounding her head. She slammed her head into his head, the contact causing the electricity to shock him.

Meanwhile, Gatomon had lunged at Monochromon, claws out. With a cry of "Lightning Claws!", she slashed at the dinosaur, leaving six long claw marks down his side. Monochromon cried out in pain, moving as Gatomon landed on her feet. The dinosaur charged at her, growling loudly. Glowering, she jumped into the air, flipping, and stuck her leg out.

"Neko Kick!" She shouted.

Her hind paw slammed into his head, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground. As he attempted to stand, she leapt onto him, swinging her tail down.

"Cat Tail!"

The golden ring around her tail connected sharply with the side of Monochromon's head, driving him into the dirt and causing a cloud of dust to appear. Gatomon appeared out of it just as Raremon reached her. Glancing over her shoulder, she rolled out of the way as a sludge bomb came down and splattered against the ground where she had stood. The moving mound of waste swung at her, forcing her to jump to the side to avoid it.

"Gatomon, be careful!" Yoko shouted, concerned.

The cat looked at her, smiling, and dodged another attack.

"Kyubimon!" Daiki called, motioning towards the cat.

The fox spun, racing towards Gatomon and Raremon. She jumped into the air and began to spin, blue fired surrounding her. From the flames rose a blue, fiery dragon that roared and headed for the sludge Digimon. It engulfed Raremon, setting him aflame and letting out a painful yell. Kyubimon landed, more fireballs firing from her tails and exploding as they made contact. Gatomon nodded to the fox, dashing at Shellmon as the armored Digimon charged at the duo. The cat jumped into the air, flipping, and slammed her hind paw into his face.

Shizuka, watching the battle carefully, sprinted over to where her partner was. Mikami followed, forcing Impmon to dash after her. The lilac-haired girl dropped to her knees, picking up Biyomon with a grimace on her face. Mikami stopped beside her as Impmon looked at his friend with a mixture of panic and anger. Biyomon winced, opening her eyes and looking at Shizuka.

"I'm sorry," Shizuka muttered, looking down. "I shouldn't have forced you to fight alone."

"I'll be okay," Biyomon replied quietly, hugging Shizuka as the girl pulled her close.

"Guys…we got a problem!" Impmon announced.

Mikami turned to see Monochromon standing over them, one foot raised to stomp on them. Standing up, the brunette positioned herself in front of Shizuka and Biyomon, and was joined by Impmon, who had already prepared several fireballs. Gatomon appeared, kicking the dinosaur in the side. He crashed to the ground, sending dust and dirt flying into the air. She lunged, scratching at him with her claws repeatedly. Mikami pulled Shizuka to her feet, looking at the angered teenager with a stern look. Carrying Biyomon in her arms, Shizuka nodded, and the group hurried back to where the others were waiting. Tadashi grabbed Shizuka by the shoulders, holding her despite a half-hearted glare. Judai, standing beside Yoko, shouted at Gatomon to beat the dinosaur.

As Mikami eyed the battled, Kyubimon finished Raremon with another Dragon Wheel, causing the disgusting Digimon to burst into pixels. The fox turned her attention to Shellmon, lunging. As her tackle connected, the two fell to the ground and Kyubimon bit down on Shellmon's neck with a growl. Gatomon was delivering kick after kick to Monochromon, who was beginning to slow in his movements. The dinosaur was launched through the air by another kick from Gatomon, who jumped upwards and struck out with her claws, which began to glow a bright white.

"Angel Claw!"

Her claws dug into him. As the group watched, she went straight through the dinosaur, who fading into particles. Gatomon landed, absorbing the data from the defeated Digimon.

She focused her attention on Shellmon and was soon by Kyubimon's side, scratching the shelled monster in the face. As she moved away, the fox used another Fox Tail Inferno attack, causing Shellmon to stumble backwards. Gatomon lunged, punching him in the jaw. His head jerked upwards from the force of the hit. She jumped up and kicked him in the head several times as Kyubimon readied a third Dragon Wheel. As soon as the cat Digimon was on the ground, Kyubimon jumped into the air, a dragon engulfing Shellmon whole and destroying him.

The duo shifted back to their Rookie forms, looking at each other and then heading back towards the group. Yoko ran forward, scooping Salamon up into her arms and spinning around with a wide smile. Daiki met Renamon halfway, bumping fists with her as they smirked at one another. The others let out heavy sighs, Judai relieved, and Tadashi glad. Yoko hurried back to rejoin Mikami, with Daiki trailing behind her.

"That's over," Judai grunted. "Nice job, Salamon!"

"Thanks," Salamon mumbled, blushing.

Yoko giggled, rubbing the pup on the head. "That was amazing!"

Shizuka looked down at Biyomon, who forced a smile, and huffed. "Let's get you fixed up."

* * *

Ah, I'm so sorry this update took so long! I've been really busy with life, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	8. 7 - Innocent Times

As per usual, I do not own Digimon. Wish I did! This is a short chapter, so sorry about that.

* * *

The entire room was filled with laughter, joking, and the occasional shout. The dining hall of the village was packed with Digimon who lived there, from the young Rookies to the few Champions inhabitants. The six humans sat more or less at the center of the table, three on either side. Mikami was on the far left of her side, sitting beside Yoko, who was between her and Daiki. Judai sat uncomfortably in between Shizuka and Tadashi. Their partners sat a few seats away from them, enjoying the drinks that were served and the food the chef gave them.

Mikami let out a heavy sigh as Impmon let out a shout, raising his glass and laughing. Instead of scolding him, Renamon joined in with his laughter and was soon followed by the others.

"Was a party necessary?" The brunette muttered.

Daiki stabbed at the meat on his plate. "Good question."

"Lighten up, you two!" Shizuka said with a chuckle. There was a loud clank as she stabbed her fork into her own meat, which she quickly took a bite of. "This is a toast to our victor! Enjoy it."

An annoyed look appeared in Mikami's eyes as she frowned at the younger female. Shizuka brushed it off, swallowing her food and chugging the strange orange colored liquid in her cup.

"Fine," Mikami muttered.

She tossed what looked to be a grape into her mouth and was treated to the sourest taste in her life. The fruit so became a projectile as she violently spit it out. It bounced off the table and smacked Tadashi in the face, earning a glare as he picked the mushed fruit off. Before she could help it, and surprising everyone around her, the brunette burst out laughing. Soon enough everyone else was as well. Even Daiki, usually the one to refrain from even a small chuckle, began to laugh.

"Hey, 'Kami!" Impmon shouted, leaning over the side of the table to look at his partner. "Come here!"

Letting her laughter trail off, Mikami stood up and strolled over to Impmon. Daiki followed, as per usual, to see what the small purple imp wanted. Once the duo came to a stop beside him, Impmon stood up on his seat and motioned to the lion sitting across from him with a grin.

"Ya never got formerly introduced, so here ya go!" He stated. "Leomon, this is Mikami," he began, pointing to her. "And this is Daiki," he finished, nodding towards the tall teenager. "Mikami's my partner."

"Daiki is my partner," Renamon added. She calmly sipped at her drink.

Leomon smiled and stood, offering his giant hand to the two. Smiling back, though somewhat forcibly, Mikami shook his hand. Daiki did the same soon after.

00000

The dinner had long been over by the time the sun had fully set. Mikami was relaxing on the steps of the guest housing, staring up at the collection of stars in the sky with a contemplative look. The others had already gone to bed, while Daiki had promised her that he would wait inside until she came back in. It had been quite some time since she had first told him she was going to sit outside; she wondered if he was still sitting in the little "lobby" by himself.

She had been unable to sleep, which was the only reason she had come outside. It chill in the air wasn't helpful either, but she felt cooped up being in the small building. The fresh air, despite the fact that it nipped at her skin, was more than welcome.

It was hard to admit to herself that she was actually worried. Not about the others; it was clear they could take care of themselves rather well, as had been evident by the short time they were apart. No, she was worried about the enemy that Impmon had told them about. None of them, not even Leomon, knew how the "Master" was, except the fact that it was a Digimon bent on taking control of the Digital World by any means necessary. Who was the Master? Were they the one who had been sending so many Digimon at them since they had arrived?

"Is everything alright?" A gruff, husky voice asked.

The interruption in her thoughts made Mikami jump slightly. She never had been one to enjoy being startled, and she found herself spinning around to glare at the offender. Instead, she found her gaze softening as her eyes landed on the hulking form of Leomon. The lion quietly sat down beside her, resting his arms on his knees. She readjusted herself, staring past the buildings into the woods.

"I guess," she muttered.

There was an almost expectant grunt from him, as if he knew she was uneasy. Shifting slightly, she turned to look at him. She couldn't hide her worry even if she wanted to, so she might as well confide in the bipedal Digimon.

"Just…I don't know," she said with a sigh. "Not even a week here and we've been attacked so many times…I'm worried. This enemy that Impmon and Renamon told us about...Are we really meant to save the Digital World from them?"

"It is best if you do not dwell on it long," Leomon rumbled, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "You and your friends are strong. Together I know that you can get through this. You must simply believe in yourselves."

"Do you really think we can do it?" She whispered. "I've never been so unsure about anything in my life. This is all a little much for even me."

"I know you can," Leomon replied. "You have proven yourself a true leader, and your friends have shown they are strong. Keep that close to your heart; it will help ease it."

Mikami closed her eyes smiled. A yawn followed, however, as she stretched out her arms. "Thanks, Leomon. I'm going to head off to bed." She stood, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Really…thank you. Good night."

"Good night, Mikami."

* * *

So they you have it. Be on the look out for the next chapter. I'll try to have it up ASAP. So long~!


	9. 8 - Here We Go

Hey, look, another update! What do you know? Sorry for the wait.  
As per usual, I don't own Digimon, even though I wish I did!

* * *

Morning came all too quickly for the group, who had spent most of the night struggling to sleep. It had been especially hard for Shizuka, as Tadashi explained to Yoko, because she was still sour over the fact she had gotten her partner hurt. Even Judai was rather sluggish when he got out of bed. They were all looking for quiet time to relax before they decided anything, but their peaceful atmosphere was gone with the arrival of the three Digimon friends they had helped to reunite. Mikami was in no mood for their antics, though she had no reason to worry. When the trio approached the group, who were sitting at the breakfast table eating, they weren't overly excited. In fact, they had grateful expressions on their faces. Once the brunette turned to face them, the brown rabbit launched into a rain of appreciation and thanks.

"Really," Lopmon said, grinning. "I do not think I could ever thank you enough."

"It's alright," Mikami replied, looking away. "Could you please stop thanking me?"

"I helped too," Shizuka pointed out. "She's right though. No need to say thanks so much."

Tadashi was about to add something when Leomon strolled in, Renamon with him. The bipedal lion paused, a curious look on his face as he watched Mikami push Guilmon away from her when the dinosaur tried to give her a hug. Shrugging his shoulders, Leomon cleared his throat and looked at those in the room as he prepared to speak.

"We are going to be heading for File City," Renamon stated, cutting off Leomon. "Information can be gathered there that may prove to be essential to our quest."

Leomon, despite being flustered at the interruption, nodded. "I would like for us to leave before noon, if that is alright with everyone. Impmon is with the others outside."

"File City?" Yoko asked.

"It is the largest city on this continent," Renamon stated. "The city was built in the canyon north of this forest."

"What's so special about it?" Daiki muttered, looking at the two. "Couldn't we just ask around the village?"

Terriermon, who had been quiet up to the point, burst out laughing. "These guys? That's funny! This village is basically cut off from most of the world. It's just the place where Digimon are born. No one comes here that often, let alone anyone with news!"

It was Tadashi's turn to glower at the white and green rabbit. "Since you apparently cannot answer the base question that Daiki asked, I shall ask you: Why File City?" The question was a clear jab at Terriermon that earned a snicker from Shizuka.

"Er…" Terriermon frowned, folding his tiny arms. "Digimon from all over the world go there. Does that answer your question?"

"At any rate," Renamon said, "it is the best place to gather information concerning the movements of the enemy. As such, we shall be heading there."

A soft sigh escaped Mikami's mouth as she turned around to glance at Leomon. "Alright. How long do you think it'll take to get there?"

"Not long," Leomon stated. "It will be easy to get there from here."

"Biyomon and I have agreed to carry you there," the bipedal fox continued. "So long as Daiki and Shizuka are in agreement, of course."

Turning, Mikami glanced to Daiki. There was a thoughtful look on his face as he contemplated it. Eventually he nodded, giving his consent. The brunette then turned her attention to Shizuka. The younger teenager scowled, obviously not happy with the idea. She knew that it was their best choice, though, as Birdramon was capable of carrying most of them by herself. Having the Champion Digimon take the group there was the quickest option they had, not to mention the only _good_ option. With a huff, Shizuka rubbed the back of her neck as she grunted a soft "yes" to the waiting girl. Mikami nodded, looking at Leomon and Renamon.

"Looks like that's what we're doing," she said, standing. Yawning, she stretched. "Alright, might as well get going now. Sooner the better, right?"

She grabbed a piece of fruit and took a bite out of it as she left the room, Leomon at her side. Tadashi snorted, looking at his sister. Shizuka merely shrugged, pushing herself to her feet. Quietly muttered under his breath, Tadashi stood as well and hurried after his sibling. Daiki made to follow after them when he noticed that Judai was still seated.

"Come on," Daiki grunted.

Judai groaned. "I don't see why we have to leave _right now,_" he mumbled, sliding out of his chair. "I mean, we just got up like, what, half an hour ago?"

There was a chuckle as Daiki inclined his head towards a watching Renamon. "Well, I don't like it any more than you do. I didn't get much sleep last night. Who knows, though? We might find someplace better at the city. Maybe we can find a better inn to stay at."

"Okay, yeah," Judai sighed, trailing after the taller teenager. "That sounds good."

"Now that you have sorted that out," Renamon said, "we should go."

Daiki waved her off, heading out of the room with her and Judai. The others were already gathered outside when they exited, waiting for the trio to join them. Shizuka dug her Digivice out of her pocket at the same time as Daiki, and the two held them up to their respective partners. The familiar glow indicating Digivolution surrounded them, disappearing once the two had changed to their Champion forms. Shizuka climbed onto Birdramon, sitting close to the bird's head. Tadashi, Judai, Yoko, and their partners climbed on. This left Daiki, Mikami, and Impmon to sit on Kyubimon's back.

"What about you, Leomon?" Yoko asked.

The lion merely smiled at the concerned girl. "No need to worry. I will be able to keep up with you on foot."

"Let's go!" Shizuka shouted.

Birdramon rumbled in acknowledgement, lifting off the ground. As she flew off, Kyubimon and Leomon ran below, heading off into the woods.

0~0~0

The room was dark, the only sources of light being candles along the walls. Even so, most visitors would be unable to discern most of the decorations. The only ones visible were banners between the support columns, which displayed a single rose surrounded by thrones. At the far end of the circular area there was a throne, with its inhabitant hidden in the shadows cast by the columns. Two shapes kneeled at the foot of the throne, awaiting orders from their leader.

One of the duo was Devimon, a tall, lanky Virus Digimon with the appearance of a demon. He wore a cloak, its hood pulled over his head, which hid most of his body.

The other was a young human teenager. Her long blonde hair framed her face and partially hid her green eyes. She wore a cloak similar to that of the Digimon sitting by her side. Beneath it she had on a grey t-shirt with a stitched black leather jacket, along with dark leather pants and tattered brown boots.

"You called?" The teenager asked.

"Indeed. I am going to assume that you have heard the news of the arrival of the Digidestined?"

"I have, my lord."

"That is good. You see, they have beaten the Digimon I sent to the Village of Beginnings. Now they seek information in File City. I want you and Devimon to intercept them and make sure they do not arrive at their destination."

"Of course. We will see to it."

"Good. Go, now. When you report back, I expect to hear that your mission was a successful."

The girl nodded, standing. Devimon did the same, following her as she took her leave. Once the door to the throne room was closed, the Virus Digimon looked down at his partner with a wry grin. It was a look that she knew all too well from the time she had spent so far working with him. Rolling her eyes, she frowned at him.

"What?" She demanded.

A glint in his eye told her that she was not going to like when he had to say.

"One of the Digidestined," he said, "is a girl named Mikami. That's the one you knew, isn't she, Angela?"

"What about it?"

"Weren't you two friends at one point?" He asked in a condescending tone. "Close friends at that. Perhaps even what the humans call…_best friends_?"

Angela rounded on him, snarling, and pointed a finger in his face. "There was _nothing_ between me and that good-for-nothing, sorry excuse of a girl. Understood? Don't you _dare_ bring her up again."

As she stomped off, furious, he began to laugh. "Oh, looks like I touched a nerve!"

* * *

...And...there you have it! Who guessed it? Anyways, I hope I can start updating monthly. Once I have more free time, though, I'll be updating more often.


	10. 9 - Somebody That I Used To Know

This chapter isn't as good as I wanted it to be. As always, I don't own Digimon. Enjoy the chapter, and please leave a review!

* * *

They had been traveling for some time now, following Birdramon's flight path to the best of Kyubimon's ability. Once in a while they would lose her in the mess of treetops that obscured their vision. Leomon was able to keep the fox on track from the branches of the trees, reporting the direction the bird took. Eventually, though, Impmon verbalized his complaints, whining about how long they had been roaming. Annoyed and not wanting to hear anymore objections to going further, Mikami told Leomon that they were going to stop for a rest. He relayed the information to Birdramon and Shizuka, who agreed to a break.

Thus was the reason why they were now sitting near the edge of the canyon, relaxing after the long ride. Birdramon and Kyubimon decided to remain in their Champion forms for the sake of being prepared for when they took off once again. Mikami sat near Shizuka and Leomon, who were in a discussion with each other. The brunette turned to look at the two as Shizuka waved her hands around.

"I mean, is this really what it's going to be like during this entire journey of ours? I know you told us that the crazy Digimon or whatever it is had a large army, but… " She asked. "Because if it is, I'm going to go insane."

"Unfortunately, it most likely will," Leomon said. "Until you are able to defeat our enemy, those who oppose us will continue to try to stop us."

Shizuka groaned, leaning back. "For Pete's sake," she mumbled. "Okay, so, what's the battle plan? Do we know how to take care of this or…?"

"No one knows of the whereabouts of our enemy, as far as I know. However, I have heard news of various locations in association with them."

"So we take them out," Mikami offered, speaking up. "Rip up the army section by section."

Leomon nodded towards her. "Yes, that is that I was going to propose. Destroying the weaker, lower levels of the army would leave the stronger units open."

Glancing at Mikami, Shizuka grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me. And the quicker we take them out…"

"…the better it is for everyone," Mikami finished.

"There is only one major obstacle that I can see," Leomon muttered, tapping his chin in thought. "There are two soldiers working under the command of The Master that concern me. One is a human and her partner is a Devimon. Those of us who have taken to opposing The Master have dubbed them as the 'Angel and Demon' of the army. Many foes had been felled by them."

Mikami folded her arms, frowning. "You're worried we won't be able to beat them."

"We can take them," Shizuka said with a huff. "Besides, Devimon is a Champion level Digimon. We have three Digimon capable of reaching the Champion level right now. Not to mention Leomon over here!"

"I have come face to face with Devimon," Leomon stated. "He is much stronger than a normal Champion. No doubt that he has absorbed the data of many of his enemies."

"Mm," the brunette grunted, tapping her fingers against her arm. "Absorbing data makes him stronger... How is it that another human has a partner, though? Is she another DigiDestined?"

"No. There are only six DigiDestined, I assure you. The human is partnered to Devimon through a Digivice created by Digimon working under The Master."

There was a huff as Shizuka rubbed her nose. "Alright, so, we wait until everyone has Digivolved and take her on."

"Problem with that is that we don't know when everyone will get their Champion levels," Mikami replied. "Could happen quickly, could be a long while."

"If the TV show taught me anything, which I'm sure it did, it's that our partners will get to their Champion levels in no time." Shizuka stood, stretching out her arms. "It can't take that long."

Mikami looked up at her with a frown. "I think that's beside the point, Shi. Even if that _did_ happen, we wouldn't know just how strong Devimon is. For now, let's just take it easy."

"Alright, alright, I get the point. Then let's hope we don't run into them."

"Yeah, let's hope, so…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shizuka asked, glancing at the older girl. "Don't believe in our luck?"

"Oh, yes, because we have good luck."

"Huh? Of _course_ we do!"

Mikami rolled her eyes, but the tone of Shizuka's voice caused her to grin. Apparently the younger teenager realized just how tense Mikami was. Letting out a sigh, she pushed herself to her feet and rolled her shoulder. They had rested long enough, she decided. Besides that, they needed to be moving. She nodded to Leomon, who stood, and then turned to look at the others. Daiki caught her eye as she motioned to the two Champion Digimon waiting.

"Come on, guys," she called. "We gotta go."

A whine came from Impmon. "Already?" As Kyubimon shot him a warning glance, he stiffened. "Sorry, sorry, don't look at me like that."

As the group filtered over to Kyubimon and Birdramon, Judai grinned at Dorumon.

"Are they always like that?" The teenager asked.

"Yep," Dorumon answered. "Most of the time."

"_All_ the time," Gabumon corrected with a laugh.

"_I heard that!_" Impmon shouted.

The trio burst into laughter was the imp glared at them. Stifling her own chuckles, Mikami placed a hand on his head. Taking the hint, Impmon folded his arms and glared forward. She picked him up and deposited him onto Kyubimon's back despite his protests. Carefully grabbing her fur, Mikami hopped onto the fox. Daiki soon followed. The others slowly climbed onto Birdramon, who took off immediately. Kyubimon moved to stand by the side of the cliff while Leomon jumped down. She looked over her shoulder at the trio.

"Hold on."

Mikami closed her eyes. An arm wrapped around her waist as they plummeted and let go once they were safely on the ground. A heavy breath escaped her lungs as the brunette opened her eyes again. Kyubimon was running by then, racing along the bottom of the canyon at Leomon's side. Above them, Birdramon flew just a few feet ahead of them. The barren ground below released dust behind them with every step Kyubimon took. In the far distance was File City.

_Well, so far it's going good,_ Mikami thought to herself. _Maybe I shouldn't have thought that…_

Something crashed into the ground in front of them, sending up a wave of smoke, dirt, and dust. Kyubimon skidded to a halt, digging her paws into the ground. Birdramon grumbled in displeasure, flapping her wings in an attempt to blow back the haze. Eventually she landed, letting everyone climb off. Mikami, Impmon, and Daiki slid off Kyubimon, Daiki holding his Digivice. Leomon had drawn his sword, a worried look on his face.

As the dust cleared, a lanky Digimon walked towards them. Mikami recognized the Digimon as Devimon. Leomon gritted his teeth, holding his weapon forward. The second figure soon came clear. Mikami found her mouth opening in surprise as the blonde hair and emerald eyes became visible.

_That can't be…_

"So, we meet again," Devimon said, chuckling. "Do you plan on entertaining us this time?"

"Far from it," Leomon growled. "This time I _will_ win against you."

He prepared to lunge, but Shizuka stepped forward and grabbed his arm. The lion glanced down at her just as she shook her head. Letting go, she nodded to Daiki and Yoko.

"Sorry, but we're not a circus," Shizuka told them, holding up her Digivice. "We're actually the ones who are gonna put you in the ground."

"Funny," the blonde said, standing beside Devimon. "You guys are hilarious. Who's up first? Or are you all planning on fighting us together…Oh, who do we have here?" Her eyes landed on the brunette.

"Angela," Mikami muttered, narrowing her eyes. _So it is her. Hmph, "Angel and Demon" indeed._

"How nice it is to see you again!" Angela exclaimed, feigning happiness. "It's been _years._ We'll have to catch up later, though. Devimon, would you do the honors?"

The devil grinned, flexing his claws. Shizuka opened her mouth to shout an order when he lunged. His shoulder slammed into Leomon, sending the lion sliding backwards. One hand hit him in the stomach while the other grabbed him by the arm. Grunting, Devimon threw Leomon into Birdramon as she attempted to intervene. The collision sent the two crashing into the canyon wall. Kyubimon tackled Devimon from behind, but he flung her over shoulder, pushing her to the ground.

Birdramon, back up, flapped her wings with a cry of, "Meteor Wing!" Devimon dodged and held up his arm, which stretched to allow him to grab hold of Birdramon. Shizuka looked startled as he pulled the bird down, punching her in the face as soon as she was close enough. She dropped down, squawking in pain.

"Let's help!" Yoko said, looking at her partner.

A light engulfed the small puppy Digimon. "Salamon Digivolve to…Gatomon!"

The cat ran forward, raising her claws. "Lightning Claw!"

Devimon rounded on her, dodging the attack and elbowing Gatomon in the stomach. As she fell to the ground, Kyubimon stood, blue fire appearing as she spread her tails out.

"Fox Tail Inferno!"

The fireballs flew forward, but Devimon spun, moving out the way. He jumped upwards and drove his heel into Kyubimon's head, slamming her downwards. Leomon and Birdramon, having recovered, charged. Kyubimon soon rejoined them, along with Gatomon. The four surrounded him, trying to attack him while avoiding one another. He simply dodged around their attacks, jumping, ducking, and dashing around to the point where they could no longer keep track of him well enough to attempt to strike. Eventually Kyubimon was thrown from the fight, skidding across the dirt.

"Touch of Evil!"

His arms stretched out, hands wrapping around Birdramon and Gatomon's ankles. A wild grin appeared on his face as their eyes dimmed. Leomon swung his sword at the devil, who let go and ducked under the attack. The lion found himself pinned to the ground, though, as Birdramon tackled him. Confused, Leomon stared up at her as Shizuka shouted at the enraged bird. Angela watched with an amused look as Gatomon attacked Kyubimon, shouting, "Cat Tail!"

"You have _got _tobe_ shittin' _me_!_" Mikami growled, clutching her Digivice.

Yoko looked shocked. "Gatomon, what are you doing?"

"Get your head out of your rear end, Birdramon!" Shizuka shouted. "Ugh. Leomon, you're gonna have to fight back!"

"I cannot risk injuring her!"

"Yeah, well, she's gonna injure _you_ in a moment!"

Grimacing, he slid his legs up underneath her and kicked. His feet connected harshly with her stomach, causing her to fall backwards. As she said, Kyubimon was sent flying into her, knocking both of them over. With her focus on her allies, Gatomon failed to notice Devimon slip behind her. The side of his hand whacked against her neck. Her eyes rolled up into her head as she de-Digivolved back into Salamon.

"Salamon!" Yoko stared with wide eyes. "How is he so strong?"

Birdramon shoved Kyubimon off her, spreading out her wings while letting out a cry. Devimon jumped over her and elbowed her in the back. She fell, forcing Leomon to move to avoid the bird. Soon she shrank, laying on the ground as Biyomon. Devimon dropped down behind the lion. As Leomon twisted around, Devimon swung his leg, kicking the lion's side sharply. The devil laughed as Leomon crumpled to the ground, holding his side.

"Biyomon! Leomon!" Shizuka shouted. "Damn it!"

Tadashi squinted his eyes at the battle. "Four Champions and he beat them all. If only there was a way to help… Sending in our partners, though, would be suicide…"

Chuckling, Devimon walked up to Kyubimon and stomped onto her stomach, causing her to howl in pain. Daiki visibly winced, as if he could feel the pain she was going through. It wasn't long until Renamon lay sprawled on her back, unmoving.

"Renamon!" Daiki roared, fury on his face. "Crap!"

"Is this the best the DigiDestined have to offer?" Angela asked. "The fate of the Digital World lies in your hands and you all were beaten by a single Champion Digimon."

"This stops right now!" Mikami roared. "I'm not going to sit back anymore. You're going down!"

Light filtered out of the screen just as an amethyst energy surrounded Impmon. Through the energy, Mikami could see his shape change. He dropped down to all fours as he grew, becoming more animal-like. Once it dispersed a dog-like Digimon stood in Impmon's place, snarling. Around his neck was a massive collar with several spikes protruding from it. The black and brown dog lowered himself, flaring his nostrils at Devimon. The devil looked surprised, glancing at Angela. Shrugging, the blonde smirked.

"That's…strange," Tadashi muttered.

Judai looked at him. "Why?"

"He Digivolved into a Dobermon. One would think an imp would turn into something more reminiscent of Devimon, yet he became a dog Digimon, one that's a Virus _and_ Vaccine type."

"That's possible?"

"Does it _matter_ right now?" Shizuka snapped.

Mikami glanced down at her Digivice, reading over the information displaying. Nodding, she looked up at Dobermon, who was stalking towards Devimon.

"Ready, Dobermon?"

"When you are, Mikami," Dobermon growled.

Angela scoffed. "Do you really think a little _puppy_ can take Devimon on?" Laughing, the blonde shook her head. "Oh, you haven't changed one bit, Mikami! You still think you can win with an _inferior_ Digimon."

"I won with some of those _'inferior'_ Digimon, Angela," Mikami replied, "and I'm going to show you that my partner isn't one of them. Let's do this."

"_Please._ You're pathetic if you think you can win against me I already defeated your four friends. Devimon, we're ending this!"

The devil nodded, rolling his shoulders with a wild smirk. As Angela gave the command, he flung his arm out at Dobermon. The dog ducked, dodging the attack. Devimon continued, trying to grab Dobermon by stretching his limbs out until the dog lunged. Dobermon's forepaws hit against Devimon's shoulders, sending both of them falling to the ground.

"Onyx Claw!" The dog snarled.

His claws dug into Devimon, causing the Virus Digimon to growl in pain. Eyes snapping open again, Devimon threw the dog off. Dobermon hit the ground on his back but soon flipped onto his stomach, standing to snarl at his enemy.

"Touch of Evil!"

His hand shot towards the dog, aiming to grab hold of the beast Digimon. Dobermon jumped to the side and turned his head towards the limb.

"Fiend Slayer!"

Before Devimon could fully retract his arm, Dobermon bit down into the limb, clamping his jaws tightly shut. Letting out a pained shout, Devimon attempted to shake Dobermon off, but the dog held on tight. Finally, having enough, the devil grabbed the mutt's muzzle.

"Death Hand!"

Dark, unholy energy blasted from his hands, forcing Dobermon to let go out his arm. The dog dropped down, rolling until he stopped himself. Devimon charged, aiming a kick at Dobermon's head. Watching carefully, Dobermon dropped down at the last moment and latched his jaws onto the devil again. With a snarl, he dug his claws into the ground and tossed Devimon into a nearby rock. Grumbling, Devimon pushed himself to his feet.

Wings seemingly extending as a murky aura surrounded them, Devimon shouted, "Evil Wing!" The wings sped through the air, heading straight for Dobermon. One dug into the ground as Dobermon dodged. The other nicked the dog's side, leaving a cut along his shoulder. Wincing, he turned his head towards Devimon.

"Hellfire!"

Moving from side to side, Devimon avoided the black fireballs, all the while moving closer. Once he judged himself to be close enough, he reached an arm out to seize the dog. Dobermon simply moved, opening his mouth as dark energy began to gather between his jaws.

"Schwartz Strahl!"

The energy exploded outwards in a massive black beam. Though he was able to move, he wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack completely. It tore through his arm, disconnecting it from his body. Pain exploded as he clutched at his shoulder, watching as his arm dropped to the ground and dissipated. Shock was written across his face. Dobermon made to tackle him, but the devil clumsily jumped to the side, stumbling as he landed by his partner. Angela looked just as surprised as him, holding a hand out but not touching the injury. With fury in her eyes, she rounded on Mikami.

"This isn't over, Mikami Yutso," Angela hissed. "Next time, I'll win."

"That's _Waden_ to you," Mikami replied, glowering. "And we'll beat you every time you face us."

Harsh laughter came from the blonde. "Run from your past all you like, Mikami, but you can't ever escape it. It _will_ catch up with you."

Devimon, carrying Angela in his only remaining, functioning arm, leaped up the canyon wall until he was out of sight. Turning, Mikami looked at Dobermon. The Digimon shrank, becoming Impmon once again. He grinned, high-fiving her and doing a small victory dance. She couldn't help but laugh as he gave Renamon a smug look.

"Yes, you did well," Renamon said. "It is time to stop celebrating and be on our way."

Impmon pouted. "Spoilsport."

"You can always celebrate when we get to File City," Judai said.

Tadashi moaned, covering his face with his hand. "Do _not_ encourage him." Moving to face Mikami, he let his hand drop. "You knew her?"

"It's a long story, guys. I'll explain it all to you later. For now, let's get to the city."

0~0~0

"Shit, Devimon, I'm sorry," Angela muttered, pacing back and forth. "I knew I shouldn't have used that strategy…damn. Seven years and somehow she remembers _everything_, all the points of my strategies. How the _hell_ could she remember?"

"Angela, slow down. You know I can't understand you when you talk that fast," Devimon said, chiding her. "Take a moment to calm down."

"I just don't _get_ it!" She exclaimed. "One way or another, I'm figuring this out, because she shouldn't remember. She wouldn't _want_ to remember…right…?"

Devimon let out a weary sigh. "We'll solve your dilemma, Angela, if it means that much to you. It does seem that you're disturbed by it."

"Right. Now…let's see if anyone can fix your arm."

* * *

Those battle scenes sucked. Sorry for that, haha. Be on the lookout for more!


	11. 10 - Some Nights

Yo, everyone. Here's the next chapter! Just want to apologize in advance for it being a bit boring. Oh, and Du Toit, am I sorry if Judai is out of character. Haha. Enjoy!

* * *

"Hey, is that File City?"

Hand over his eyes, Tadashi was squinting, trying to make out what he was seeing. There was a chuckle as Shizuka patted him on the back. She grabbed his hand, pulling it down away from his eyes. In retaliation, he scowled at her, pushing her away from him. Rolling her eyes, Renamon confirmed that it was the city as she glanced over her shoulder. Yoko giggled, skipping forward to walk beside the fox.

It was well into the day by then, time having slipped by as they walked. The sun was on its way to setting, not far from the horizon. If they kept going, they were bound to make it before nighttime.

"That was a dumb question," Impmon said.

"It was," Mikami agreed, "but Tadashi doesn't have the best eyesight."

"Then why isn't he wearing glasses?"

The boy in question roughly cleared his throat. "I usually wear contacts, actually, but I lost them when we fell into the Digital World."

The imp shrugged, smirking. "Hey, man, that's your fault."

"Impmon," Leomon grunted, "do not antagonize him."

Sulking, Impmon folded his arms and puffed out his cheeks in defiance. Leomon groaned, rubbing at his eyes while shaking his head. Daiki elbowed Mikami in the side, but she shrugged, not knowing what to say.

Clearing his throat, Dorumon caught their attention. "Can we just hurry?"

"I happen to like walking leisurely through the canyon," Judai commented. "After that fight, it's relaxing to—"

"Judai," Shizuka interrupted, "we are going to hurry up, get to the city, and get some rest. Okay?"

The boy frowned, looking at the glowering teenager. He sighed. "Yeah, okay. Hope we can find someplace to relax, then."

"Come on guys!" Yoko yelled. "We can get there soon if we run!"

"Yoko, no one wants to—" Before Mikami could finish her sentence, the redhead was dashing ahead of the group. "Wait! Oh, for Pete's sake…"

"Better catch up to her," Daiki said, looking at Mikami with a grin.

The brunette opened her mouth to object, only for Daiki to take off running after Yoko. Eyebrows narrowed, Mikami prepared to yell at him when she realized that Judai and Shizuka, along with their partners, were sprinting towards the city. She threw her hands up, letting out an exasperated sigh at the sight. Shizuka briefly looked back at her and Tadashi, putting her hand up with her fingers in the shape of a V.

Tadashi huffed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well then," Mikami muttered.

"Somehow," Leomon grunted, "I am not surprised."

"Neither am I."

The first thing the group noticed as they closed in on the city was the massive arch above the entrance. A wall several feet high surrounded the entire city, but the childish decorations across it made it more welcoming. The wooden double doors were open, giving them a view of the buildings within. Having ran up the stairs, Yoko was the first to reach the open doors, hopping from one foot to the other. When Daiki and Shizuka made it to the top, Yoko dashed through the archway, an excited look on her face. The oldest of the group put his hands on his hips as he watched her wave to them.

"She looks ready to explore," Leomon commented.

"Agreed," Tadashi said. "She is unusually hyper."

"It has been a while since we've been in a place like this, though. I can't blame her," Mikami said.

"Yeah, well, it's annoying!" Impmon declared.

Raising an eyebrow, Mikami looked down at him. He looked back at her before rushing up the stairs to walk beside Renamon. The fox shook her head silently.

A surprised look appeared on Mikami's face as they walked through the archway. Though the city had looked quite large from the outside, it looked even bigger once they were inside. She glanced to Tadashi, who was looking around with interest. Leomon placed a hand on her shoulder as he walked past her, nodding towards the main walkway. Following him, she examined the various buildings surrounding them. Various types of shops lined the paths, along with bakeries and restaurants.

"This place is _really_ big," Judai mumbled. "Anyone know where we're going?"

Leomon motioned forward with his hand. "I am taking you to the inn. We will rest there for now. It would not be a wise choice to question the citizens when exhausted."

"Sounds good to me."

"Of course you like the idea," Shizuka said. "You love to sleep."

Judai looked offended. "What? No! I just think we all need some downtime. Are you saying I'm lazy?"

Snickering, Shizuka glanced at Daiki. The older boy attempted not to laugh at the annoyed look on Judai's face.

Whatever retort Judai had prepared was cut off once Yoko dashed up to him, grabbing his hand in the process. As she dragged him forward, she stuck her tongue out at Daiki.

"Alright, alright," Daiki said. "We'll quit."

Leomon ushered the friends towards the inn, hurrying them along the quiet streets. The building they approached was three stories tall, completely wooden, with a sign swinging back and forth that read "File City Inn" on it. Immediately upon opening the door, they were greeted by the sight of a counter to the far right and a bar to the left. A set of stairs beside the counter led to the second floor. Turning, Mikami looked at the bar and the tables scattered about. She hoped they only sold water and juice, or else Daiki would be having a field day. A handful of Digimon—five of them—sat at the tables. Shizuka paused beside her, looking at the dismal Digimon.

"Pretty quiet, huh?" She mumbled.

"A little too quiet," Mikami grunted. "Wonder what's going on."

"A few rooms, if you would," Leomon said, approaching the Guardromon at the counter. "We wish to stay the night."

"Ah, Leomon. It is good to see you again. How many beds do you need?" Guardromon asked.

The lion looked back at the humans and their partners, hunching his shoulders. The robot Digimon did a quick count and grabbed several keys from under the counter. As Leomon turned back to look at Guardromon, the robot dropped the keys in front of him.

"Free of charge. Consider it my thanks for your help a few weeks back," Guardromon said.

Leomon smiled, picking up the keys. "Thank you." He looked at those waiting and nodded towards the stairs. "Let us get some rest."

They trudged up the stairs to where the rooms were. Once they were at the top of the stairs, Leomon handed them the keys. He left it up to them to decide who slept in which rooms as he took the farthest room. The twins were fine with sharing a room alongside their partners. Mikami ushered Daiki into a room as Impmon and Renamon took another. Judai and Yoko exchanged glances with their partners. Having been left with the remaining room, Yoko shoved her temporary roommates inside.

xxxx

Daiki immediately took one of the two beds in the room, laying sprawled on it. Mikami sat down beside him, kicking off her shoes and putting her feet on the other bed. He looked up at her, grinning.

"You sure you wanna share a room with me?" He asked.

Mikami smirked. "Are you implying something?"

"I am offended, Mikami! I would never do a thing to you."

"Who said anything about that?"

Daiki laughed, sitting up and moving to settle in beside her. Letting out a heavy breath, he draping an arm around Mikami's shoulders.

"Missed this, ya know," he muttered. "Well, not _this_ but—"

Chuckling, Mikami elbowed him in the side, causing him to grunt. "No need to explain. I catch your drift. Feels like home."

"Home minus the concerned, over-protective, sometimes suspicious parents," Daiki said.

"With a _big_, _scary_ _man_ like you, they have every right to be suspicious," the brunette replied, shaking her hands while attempting to keep a straight face. "You might cuddle me to death!"

"Heh, shut up and lay down."

xxxx

"We haven't shared a room since we were seven."

Tadashi paused. His hand rested on his Digivice, which he had put on the nightstand by his bed. Turning, he looked at his sister. The lilac haired girl eyed the two sets of bunk beds with a small smirk. She gripped the top of the rightmost bed and pulled herself up. Biyomon flitted up to sit beside the teenager, pulling her wings in close. Shizuka placed a hand on the bird to smooth out the feathers.

"Not liking your choice?" Tadashi wondered.

"Nope," Shizuka stated. "It gives me a chance to bother you while you try to sleep."

"Is that…a normal thing?" Gabumon asked, halfway up the ladder of the other bunk bed. "Keeping you from sleeping?"

Brushing a stray hair strand from his face, Tadashi nodded. "When it's not a school day."

"That's not nice," Biyomon said, looking at her partner.

"Oh, it's not _that_ bad," Shizuka replied. "It's not like I keep you up any longer than half an hour."

Sighing, Tadashi sat down and leaned against the wall.

"Come on, Dashi. Hey. Hello-o?" Leaning off the side, Shizuka looked at her brother. He turned his back to her, laying on his side.

"Zuka…"

"You're not mad at me, are you? Ugh, fine. I'll leave you alone."

0~0~0~0

_If there is one thing I hate,_ the boy thought to himself, _it's not being able to sleep._

Sitting on the side of his bed, Judai stared out the window, a frown on his face. He briefly rubbed his eyes before sliding his hands down his face. It was dark out. He had been awake now for hours and he had no idea why. All he wanted to do was sleep. Luck was never on his side when it came to resting. Two or three hours of sleep was all he wanted, just a little bit of time to get rid of the bags under his eyes.

_But no, I can never sleep when I haven't played video games._

He huffed.

_Might as well go for a walk,_ he decided, carefully sliding out of bed. He didn't want to wake up Dorumon, who had insisted on lying next to him. Maybe it was a DigiDestined partner thing. Before he opened the door, he double-checked Yoko and Salamon. The two were sleeping deeply, cuddled together under the blankets. Nodding to himself, he quietly opened the door and slipped out.

The hallway was strangely quiet. Fortunately for him, that meant no one would see him leaving. The last thing he needed was Mikami or Yoko freaking out. Or Shizuka getting on his case, for that matter. She would bury him if she found out he had left during the night.

_Okay, just gonna stop thinking to myself about that,_ he thought. _Don't need any images of my death by Shizuka's hands. Nope. Don't want any of that._

The steps creaked as he snuck down the stairs, causing him to wince. Stopping, he looked back to the way he came and then scanned the first floor. Satisfied, he continued his trek downwards. Once he was on the first floor, Judai sped up, glancing around. He paused when he reached the door, gripping the handle. As quickly as he could, he opened it and closed it behind him as soon as he was outside.

He squinted. _Jeez, it's chilly. The one time I don't have a jacket._

Shaking his head, he headed off down the street. At least the air was calm and the wind wasn't blowing. Not only that, but the sky was littered in thousands of stars. He looked up at the moon, letting out a deep breath.

"Definitely needed this," he mumbled.

He paused once he reached an intersection, looking down the streets. The city seemed even emptier than it had when they first arrived. It wasn't very late at night, so he figured there would be a few Digimon out. Then again, he and his friends hadn't seen any Digimon during the day.

That was when he heard voices.

Narrowing his eyes, he turned left and began walking. The further he went, the louder the voices became. Eventually he could see the center of the city. Leomon had mentioned it briefly when they were on their way there, and his description was rather accurate. Several trees rose up into the sky, surrounding a fountain in the center. In a way, it looked like a miniature park.

He slowed his pace once he noticed that there were two shapes near the fountain. Silent, he moved up to one of the trees and peeked around the side.

A small, bat-like Digimon was hovering in the air. Just below the DemiDevimon was a Hagurumon. The Gear Digimon looked distressed as he stared at the Virus type, eyes wide. The DemiDevimon cackled, grinning evilly.

"You said they would be returned if I cooperated!" Hagurumon shouted.

"But you didn't, did you? Kekeke. The boss knows that you went behind his back to request help." The little devil looked pleased at the other Digimon's panicked expression. "None of the captives are gonna be given back. In fact, the boss has decided to delete them all!"

Judai couldn't help the shock that appeared on his face. Cooperation? Captives? What exactly was going on?

"We'll be back tomorrow night," DemiDevimon said, "and we're taking the rest of the Digimon here. Hope you enjoy being the mayor of a ghost town!"

Glowering, Judai watched the bat fly off. It was settled; he was going to get the others and they were going to solve this problem. He didn't care how tired he was at that point. There was no way he could let this slide.

_As much as I wish that we could have a whole day or two to ourselves._

Backtracking, he made his way to the inn. They wouldn't be happy about having their sleep interrupted, that much he knew. Opening the door, he sighed. When he looked up, however, he was met with an angry face and the lumbering form of a certain lion.

"Where _were_ you?" Shizuka hissed.

He raised his hands in defense. "I'm sorry for going on a walk! I couldn't sleep. Don't kill me."

"And you didn't tell anyone _why?_" She demanded.

Shrugging, he raised his eyebrows and glanced up at Leomon. "I thought everyone was sleeping. I mean, you guys looked exhausted when we got here. Besides Yoko, and I knew she was asleep. How'd you figure out I wasn't in here anyways?"

"It is not difficult to distinguish your scents," Leomon stated. "When I awoke, I noticed that your scent led outside."

"O-kay," Judai muttered. "So, I might've overheard a couple of Digimon talking at the center of the city…and we may or may not have a slight problem on our hands. See, I heard something about someone not cooperating and captives being…deleted."

Groaning, Shizuka covered her eyes with her hand and turned around. She nodded to Leomon, then motioned to Judai. Swallowing past a lump in his throat, he followed her up the stairs. It wasn't hard to guess that she was mad at him, judging from the way she was walking. It wasn't his fault though. Okay, maybe it had been a tad bit. That still didn't mean she had to give him the death glare!

She knocked on the door to the room Mikami shared with Daiki, tapping her foot. Daiki was the one to open the door, scowling at the girl.

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he mumbled, "What?"

"Just come on," Shizuka said. "Mikami, you awake?"

"Uh-huh. Give me a moment."

Shizuka proceeded to wake the others as Judai stood at the end of the hallway, wondering how well Mikami and Daiki would take his little expedition. Mikami had never been one to like any of their group being alone unless she was sure they were safe. And, well, they were in the Digital World and being hunted by some crazed Digimon. Man, she was going to be even angrier than Shizuka…

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Dorumon run up to him. The purple-furred Digimon looked up at him, worried. As soon as everyone was in the hallway, Shizuka dragged him forward and looked at him expectantly.

"Hey, easy there," he muttered. "Okay, I went for a walk. I saw a DemiDevimon and Hagurumon talking, so I eavesdropped. Most of the Digimon in the city were taken captive by someone and now they're going to be deleted since the mayor didn't do what he was told. And the rest of the Digimon here will be taken. Something like that."

"What are we waiting for?" Mikami asked. "Come on."

She pushed past them, Impmon running after her while complaining. Everyone filtered past except for Yoko, leaving her and Judai there in the hallway. The redhead turned to him and hit his arm, causing him to grunt. As he rubbed the spot, she frowned at him.

"Next time," she said, "just wake me up so I know where you went. Okay? Because I woke up and freaked out when I didn't see you."

The boy blushed. "Oh. Um…sorry."

She headed down the stairs. Following after her, Judai and Dorumon hurried down the steps to where the others were waiting. Luckily, Dorumon had grabbed his Digivice for him. He let out a puff of air once he joined the others. They headed out of the inn.

"Hey!"

Mikami froze, turning towards the city entrance. A familiar, red dinosaur came barreling towards them, two rabbit Digimon as passengers. Guilmon skidded to a stop in front of the group, a wide grin on his face. Terriermon and Lopmon jumped down, waving to the friends.

"Where are you going?" Lopmon asked. "It's the middle of the night."

"We've got somewhere to be," Mikami said. "What are you doing here?"

Terriermon chuckled. "Oh, we thought about it for a little while and figured that you guys could use a bit of our help with things."

"We could have them keep an eye out here," Tadashi suggested, "and watch out for the other Digimon here."

"Three Rookies?" Shizuka grunted. "Not a good idea."

There was a sigh as Daiki shook his head. "She's got a point."

"I'm sure we could help out," Guilmon mumbled.

"Leomon," Mikami said, turning to the lion. "I want you to stay here. We'll be fine, but you'll need to help protect the rest of the Digimon. Do you know where the captives might've been taken?"

"Then I shall stay. North of here, there is a fortress in the Mountain Zone. It's between the two tallest mountains, on a plateau."

"Alright. Let's go."

* * *

There we have it. A lot of important plot stuff coming up in the next chapter!


	12. 11 - Vim And Vigor

Sorry that this took so long to update! Unfortunately, I was busy the past two months, and I spent a lot of time this week working on this chapter so I could update. This came out much longer than I thought it would, so...sorry about that! Be sure to tell me of any mistakes you see. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Making their way along the winding path was a challenge. Not simply because of the fact that the ground was harsh, but because they could not afford to raise their voices. The smallest of noises seemed to echo between the mountains. The massive rock walls that the sound bounced off of made a cough sound like a thunderclap. No one wanted to alert their enemies that they were coming. As Leomon had explained shortly before they left, the element of surprise would be their friend during this escapade. So long as they could strike first, they had the upper hand.

Of course, that was if they could get through the path and to the plateau. Luckily the path was rather straightforward, else the group would have gotten lost. With the height of the mountains, and the overall size of the area, trying to navigate twisted paths would have been near impossible. The progress they were making was slow enough as it was without having to deal with the possibility of getting lost.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Mikami focused her eyes forward. At that moment they needed to focus on their current mission. Saving the citizens of File City was top priority. Deleting the Digimon behind all of this was the second most important thing.

_And after that we're going to make that DemiDevimon squeal_, she thought.

"It is over the hill," Renamon said, reappearing in front of the group. "There are guards standing by the main entrance."

"Any others?" Tadashi asked.

The bipedal fox nodded. "There appears to be a side entrance left unguarded. However, we cannot make our way to it without the guards at the front seeing."

"Great," Shizuka muttered.

"Then we take them out _quietly_," Impmon replied. "What kind of Digimon are they?"

"Two Champions. One is a Virus Type. The other is a Data Digimon. A Waspmon and Kuwagamon."

The imp nodded, walking forward. The others followed. Once he was at the top of the hill, Impmon dropped down to his stomach, glaring at the two guards. Renamon whispered something in his ear as she joined him. He nodded and shifted his position, facing the fox.

"So, you and Salamon take the Virus?"

"That would be correct."

"Alright. Me and Biyomon can take care of the Data one."

Twisting around, he looked to Yoko and Shizuka for approval. "That okay with you?"

"Yes," Yoko said.

Shizuka pulled out her Digivice, a wicked grin on her face. "Oh, you bet. This time, we're not gonna be beaten."

"Alright. So, I could probably find a way to sneak around and catch him off guard," Impmon muttered.

"I'll drop down on him from below after," Biyomon offered. "Finish him off as quietly as I can."

"Yeah, that sounds good…"

"Is Impmon making a plan?" Daiki whispered to Mikami, causing her to chuckle. "Seriously, what's gotten into him?"

"I can hear you," Impmon hissed, glancing over his shoulder. "Anyways…Renamon, Salamon, you know what you gotta do?"

"Affirmative," the fox grunted.

"Yep," Salamon said.

"What about you guys?" The imp continued, looking to the humans.

"We're ready, Impmon," Mikami said. "Just tell us when you think we should start."

"Let's do it now. The quicker we save those Digimon and get rid of those guys, the better."

Shizuka snorted, folding her arms. "Well, isn't _he_ a fearless leader," she muttered under her breath. She gripped her Digivice.

"Alright, let's do this," Impmon said, looking forward.

"Good luck," Gabumon said, followed by Dorumon saying, "Be careful."

The others pulled out their Digivices and held them up. Light engulfed the four Digimon, transforming their shapes. Soon enough their Champion forms stood before the humans. Dobermon nodded to Kyubimon and Gatomon. The small cat jumped onto Kyubimon's back just as the fox leaped down the hill. She landed behind a large boulder only seconds before the guards glanced up to see what the noise had been. As the two Digimon dismissed it, Dobermon jumped down and made his away to a rock column, where he hid himself. Birdramon, careful not to be seen, headed off in the other direction to circle around while using the mountains to hide her bulky form.

"Let's hope this works," Shizuka growled.

"We should trust our partners," Yoko replied with a smile. "Let's hide and watch."

Mikami chortled. "Yeah, and if they need our help we can rush out."

"Oh, yeah, that's a smart idea," Daiki muttered.

Judai looked at Tadashi with an uncertain look on his face. "Do you…?"

"No idea," Tadashi answered before Judai finished. "Come on. There's a nice rock to relax behind a ways down the path."

"Wait for us," Dorumon whined.

He dashed after the two with Gabumon right behind him.

Dobermon peered out from the rock column to see the guards turned around, whispering to one another. He nodded to Kyubimon and slowly crawled out from his hiding place. Quiet, he began to close the distance between him and the guards. Once he was close enough, he released a ball of dark energy towards the rock wall. It exploded, causing a relatively loud boom and drawing the attention of the guards.

"You hear that?" Waspmon asked.

"Yep," Kuwagamon said. "Wait here. I'm gonna check it out."

"Eh?! But the boss said—"

"Screw the boss. If it's someone lookin' for a fight, I'm gonna give them one." The giant beetle stalked away, pausing long enough to say, "Keep an eye out."

"A-alright."

Once the beetle disappeared, Waspmon fidgeted and glanced around. From his vantage point, Dobermon could see Kuwagamon looking down at the shattered rocks. Birdramon was perched on top of one of the smaller mountains, staring down. She noticed Waspmon and shot off a fireball. The wasp jumped and looked to see where the fireball had burst on the opposite side. He looked unsure for a moment before heading off to investigate.

Dobermon dashed forward, running silently. By the time Kuwagamon noticed something was wrong, Dobermon was right on top of him. The dog slammed into the beetle, driving him to the ground, and dug his teeth into the other Digimon's neck. Kuwagamon threw Dobermon off just as Birdramon came swooping down. One of her claws grabbed him by the head and the other by his body. She ripped his head off, causing him to disappear.

"That was too easy," she whispered, landing and tucking herself in to better hide.

"Yeah, it was," Dobermon grumbled. "Must mean they kept all the actual _strong_ guards inside…"

They slid out to the front in time to see Gatomon slice through Waspmon. The cat looked up as the wasp disappeared, nodding to Dobermon. Kyubimon and Gatomon trotted up to him and Birdramon.

"Perhaps they knew we were coming," Kyubimon said with a tone of suspicion. "That would explain the guards."

"I'd say that they didn't want to waste their best guards by having them stay outside," Birdramon stated. "After all, I doubt they'd guess someone would come along who could beat them."

"I guess that makes sense," Gatomon sighed.

They turned as the DigiDestined came running towards them. Once they stopped, Mikami looked at the front door.

"Well, let's get to that side door," she said. "It's hard telling how many Digimon are inside, so let's be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, let's do that," Judai mumbled, following the brunette as she walked away. "And let's try not to get hurt."

"Seconded," Daiki said.

"Scaredy-cats," Dobermon rumbled. "Afraid to get a little scratch."

"I object that comment!" Gatomon stated, dashing after him. "Don't say 'scaredy-cats' anymore!"

"I think I liked it more when you were a small dog…"

They made their way around the compound, carefully avoiding the few windows scattered around despite the fact that they were located several feet above the ground. Once they reached the side door, Mikami grabbed the handle and looked back at the others. Her gaze landed on Tadashi and eventually shifted to Judai. The look she gave them caused both of them to frown.

"You two should stay here," she said. "We don't know for sure what's inside—"

"I am afraid that I cannot," Tadashi replied. Judging from the way he was speaking, Mikami assumed he somewhat annoyed. "And I most certainly will not stand idly by as my friends and my sister put themselves in harm's way."

Shizuka rolled her eyes. "Here we go…"

"Y'know, he is right," Judai muttered. "We've had the backseat for a while. I mean, how many times has it been that we haven't been able to help already? We and our partners may not be able to fight but…the least we could do is help with the prisoners."

Chuckling, Daiki folded his arms. "Never imagined short-stack saying something like that, but…he does have a good point, Mikami. Let them tag along."

"What if they—"

"Alright, enough!" Shizuka hissed, pushing Mikami away from the door. "Let's just _go_ already. There are innocent Digimon relying on us whether or not they know it, so move it or lose it. We need to find them _ASAP_, remember? Birdramon, de-Digivolve for now! You're too big."

She flung the door open, receiving an annoyed from Mikami. Birdramon shrank at that moment, becoming Biyomon. The brunette sighed and ushered the Digimon inside first before she and the others entered. Once everyone was inside, Shizuka propped the door open just enough for an easy escape. Tadashi wasn't sure they would even be coming back to this particular door, but if they did, Shizuka made sure that they could get out easily.

"Let's try to stick together," Yoko said.

"And if we do get split up again," Mikami added, "we _don't_ do anything stupid. Agreed?"

A few mumbles of agreement followed and soon enough they were heading down the hall. Judai hung back at the rear with Dorumon, standing beside Tadashi and Gabumon. The blue-haired boy looked at the blonde with a raised eyebrow, watching Judai glance around.

"Is something the matter?" Tadashi asked quietly.

"Just, you know—um…keeping an eye for anyone?" Judai offered, somewhat unsure.

Tadashi folded his arms. "You are certainly a terrible liar."

"I—it's not a complete lie."

"It's perfectly fine if you're worried. However, we must focus on the task on hand."

The group silently made their way down the hallway, trying not to attract the attention of whoever was inside the compound. The last thing they wanted was to be caught and jailed. After all, being _inside_ the cells with the Digimon they were supposed to be rescuing wouldn't be helpful in the least bit. Still, they would end up aimlessly roaming the compound as they attempted to avoid any enemies because they had no clue as to where the cells were located. The facility was rather large, so the chances of them just stumbling upon the cells while they were all together were slim. Then again, they may not _be_ in cells…

Dobermon paused, standing at the front, and raised his head. He sniffed the air for a moment before looking down at Mikami. They whispered to each other, and then turned to Kyubimon. After a moment of conversation, Mikami motioned down one of the hallways. Dobermon glanced to Kyubimon, who nodded. The brunette changed her course, heading down a hallway to the left.

If the building was similar to ones where they came from, Tadashi mused, then the cells would probably be near the rear. Then again, it _was_ the Digital World, and things seemed very different when compared to the television show. They could locate find it much more quickly if they split up, but then they'd be put in even further danger.

_What a predicament…_

Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, Kyubimon, Dobermon, and Gatomon stopped. All three of them had their fur sticking upwards, as if they were frightened by something. They whipped around, eyes narrowed. That's when Tadashi realized that something was standing behind him and Judai. He turned to find himself looked up at a tall, flaming humanoid. Beady, blue eyes gazing down at him, accompanied by a twisted smirk. Frozen, Tadashi stared, not fully registering what was happening.

"What do we have here?" The Digimon rumbled, chuckling. "A frightened human and his friends? So, you must be those _DigiDestined_ everyone has been going on about. Well, it was _nice meeting you!_"

His hand flared brightly as a giant fireball appeared above his palm. Just as he released it, Kyubimon leaped over the group and slammed into him. Gabumon, aiming for the fireball, let out a stream of blue fire. While it successfully diverted the fireball, it instead hit the ceiling, exploding. A split second later, it began to cave in. Three different bodies tackled Tadashi, sending him sliding across the floor. He blinked and watched as the others scattered, with Daiki running to where his partner was fighting Meramon just before the ceiling came down.

Judai sat up, rubbing his head. Dorumon checked him over as Gabumon helped Tadashi to pull himself up to a sitting position. His mouth dropped open when he saw that the end of the hallway where they had just came from was completely blocked. He pushed himself to his feet and walked over to it, hoping to find some crack or hole in it. Unfortunately, there were none.

So, somewhat hopeful, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Shizuka!"

"Tadashi?" His sister replied. "Are you and Judai okay?"

"We're alive!" He stated. "What about you?"

"Everyone is fine, Tadashi!" Mikami's voice answered. "Listen, you and Judai need to sit tight! We'll come find you! But _run if you have to!_"

Tadashi was preparing a retort when Judai appeared beside him, yelling, "Alright, we will! Thanks! Just be careful!"

There was no response after that. Tadashi turned to give Judai a disappointed look, but the blonde turned away and looked down the hallway. Even if he didn't want to admit it, Tadashi was annoyed with the younger boy. They couldn't afford to sit there and wait. Not to mention running away—Tadashi was a coward, he had to admit to himself, but he wouldn't abandon his friends for his own sake! He opened his mouth to reprimand Judai, only for the blonde to turn and look at him.

"So," he said, "which way do you think the prisoners are?"

Tadashi lowered his hand. "Huh?"

His reaction earned a slight eye-roll. "Come on, we aren't _really_ going to sit here all day waiting for the others, are we?"

"Is that such a good idea?" Dorumon mumbled, shuffling his feet. "We can't Digivolve. If one of the Digimon who works here finds us—"

"Then we'll protect our partners no matter what," Gabumon declared.

Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, well, I suppose you are right, Judai. They're most likely…near the rear of the compound."

"Then let's figure out which way that is and go," Judai said. "The sooner we rescue everyone from File City, the sooner we can get out of here. Right?"

"Right…Let's just hope Shizuka, Daiki, or Mikami don't kill us after all this is done."

Tadashi took the lead. Recalling the direction they had originally been going, he turned to his left. Hopefully they wouldn't run into anymore unwanted interruptions, but with the luck they were having lately, they probably would. The best thing they could do would be to avoid any Digimon who stumbled upon them and run if it was necessary. Of course, he hated the idea of having to run, but since their partners couldn't Digivolve yet, they couldn't afford to fight.

0-0-0

Dobermon was rushing down the hallway, Mikami riding on his back. While she wanted to go find Judai and Tadashi, they needed to find File City's residents and save them. It wasn't an easy choice, but she knew they'd understand. Besides, she, Yoko, and Shizuka had agreed that the brunette would go find the prisoners while Shizuka and Yoko tried to find the two boys. She was sure Daiki was okay, as Kyubimon was quite capable of protecting her partner.

Looking up, Mikami noticed Dobermon slow as they reached a four way. The dog turned and began to run again.

"Are we any closer?"

"Gettin' there," Dobermon grunted. "I can smell a large group of Digimon together, so they must be the prisoners."

Mikami grunted. "Let's hope they're having a meeting or anything."

Shaking his head, Dobermon sped up, bounding down the hallway. When they came to yet another turn, Dobermon skidded around the corner and abruptly stopped. Mikami jumped off upon seeing the Digimon standing in their way. It bore resemblance to a boar, with a body that was orange and a fiery mane. Two large tusks protruded from its mouth. Mikami pulled out her Digivice, looking at the information that appeared on the screen.

"Boarmon. Champion Level," she mumbled. "Of course it's a Champion."

"Just stay back," Dobermon told her, crouching. "Leave it to me."

"Don't let that ego of yours make you lose."

"Tch. I knew I heard something," Boarmon complained. "Now I have to get my hooves dirty. You're going to regret this!"

Dobermon snorted. "Try me."

"Nose Blaster!" Boarmon exclaimed.

Flames flew out of the boar's nostrils, heading straight for Dobermon. The dog dodged to the side, successfully avoiding the attack. Several more followed, and each time Dobermon was able to dart away the fire. Dobermon slowly moved forward with every attack that missed him. Eventually he was close enough to lunge at the boar.

"Onyx Claw!"

His claws dug into Boarmon's side, earning a shout of pain. Dobermon spun around as he landed, steadying himself. Boarmon turned and snorted, fireballs flying out of his mane. While he was able to dodge most of them, one hit him square in the face. He howled, pawing at his face. Boarmon ran forward, slamming into Dobermon's side. The attack sent the dog sliding across the floor. Growling, Dobermon attempted to shove himself to his feet. Boarmon was on top of him within moments, tusks sliding under him. A few moments later, the boar tossed him into the air.

"Not so tough now!" Boarmon snapped.

Snarling, Dobermon righted himself mid-air and opened his maw.

"Hellfire!" He shouted, releasing a black fireball.

The attack surprised Boarmon, but he moved out of the way at the last second. Dobermon landed, digging his claws into the floor.

"Schwartz Strahl!"

A black beam shot out of Dobermon's mouth so quickly that Boarmon had no time to dodge. It pierced the boar's chest, causing him to explode into data particles. Shaking his body, Dobermon absorbed the data. Mikami rushed up to him with a frown and hopped onto his back.

The black dog looked annoyed. "What, no time for a rest?"

"What do you think?" Mikami replied. "You can rest after we get everyone back to the city."

0-0-0

Finally having beaten Meramon, Kyubimon and Daiki made their way down the corridor. Unfortunately, the collapsed ceiling blocked their off from their friends, and from the way they had been shouting, Daiki came to the conclusion they had been separated. This place, though, seemed more like a maze than anything. Luckily Kyubimon could sniff out the Digimon they were looking for.

They walked along as quickly as they could, since Kyubimon was somewhat tired after the fight. According to the fox, the prisoners were farther inside. While the building itself wasn't extraordinarily large, it was big enough to be a pain in Daiki's rear end.

So long as he found everyone, got the prisoners out, and set this little operation down, he'd be happy. He'd even celebrate afterwards. They just had to get out of here as soon as they could.

"Daiki."

He raised his head. "Hmm?"

"My apologies, but you seemed to have drifted off in thought."

"I kinda did," he admitted.

She nodded and then sniffed the air, a thoughtful look on her face. "Odd. There is a Digimon here who smells radically different from the others."

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking at her.

"It is strange," she answered, shaking her head. "Almost as if it is…tainted."

"Tainted…Huh. You think it might be whoever runs the show here?"

"That is a strong possibility."

Golden eyes narrowed, Daiki folded his arms as he mulled the information over. Whoever it was, he or she could be much stronger than the others working in the building. If he and Kyubimon could beat them, however slim the chance was, it might throw this portion of the Master's army into chaos. It might even disrupt the entirety of the forces, even if it was for a short time. That might have been wishful thinking on his part though. Still, defeating whoever it was would add to the assurance that the citizens of File City weren't harassed and used as leverage ever again.

"I say we pay them a visit," he suggested, glancing at Kyubimon for a response. "Throw a wrench in their operations."

"I agree."

0-0-0

"First thing to do is find my annoying brother, Judai, and their partners," Shizuka said as they walked along. "Then we help Mikami with the prisoners if she needs it."

"What about Daiki?" Yoko asked.

"He and Kyubimon can take care of themselves," Biyomon pointed out.

"Not to mention Kyubimon will protect him," Gatomon added.

Shizuka nodded to the two Digimon. "Right. So, Yoko, there's nothing to worry about. There's a bunch of Digimon counting on us!"

"Right," Yoko mumbled. "The boys first, prisoners and Mikami second. How do we plan on escaping, though?"

The lilac-haired teenager placed her hands on her hips as she thought the question over. How _were_ they going to get out of this place? As far as she knew, there was no easy way back to the side entrance that she had propped open since the ceiling had collapsed. That would mean the front door. None of them really knew how to get to the front door from the inside, though. The building was designed to be as confusing as possible to outsiders, it seemed, so they were going to have to guess which way was which. Or…

"Maybe we could just have everyone blast a hole in the side of this place," Shizuka stated. "Seems like that'd be the fastest. And, on the plus side, it would do some real damage to the building."

Yoko blinked, a thoughtful look on her face. "Huh. I hadn't even thought about that. Yeah, that sounds good!"

"It does sound like it might be fun," Biyomon remarked.

"As long as everyone else is okay with it," Gatomon pointed out. "Then again, after all this is done, I think everyone will want to blow up some of this place."

The cat's statement made Yoko giggled, but the redhead stopped suddenly and wrinkled her nose. Gatomon did the same, a disgusted look on her face. Both of them pinched their noses.

"Do you smell that?" Yoko questioned.

"Smell what—Oh, jeez! What is that?!" Shizuka exclaimed, covering her nose. "The hell! It smells like a dump!"

A voice shouted, "That's insulting!"

The group turned around to find the owner of the voice. They were greeted by a Digimon that looked similar to a slug. It was mainly a sick yellow with brown spots on its back. Its two beady, red eyes stood on stalks, which looked between the four friends. Yoko struggled to pull out her Digivice, the smell rather overpowering, and clicked one of the buttons.

"Geremon. A Champion level Virus," the redhead reported.

"That's right," Geremon said. "I found it very insulting that you said I smell like a dump."

"Well," Biyomon muttered, "you _do._"

The slimy Digimon frowned. "If you think you can make fun of me, you're wrong! Poop Throw!"

A pinkish pile of feces was hurled through the air at the group. Yoko barely jumped out of the way, but the pink goop hit Biyomon in the face, the bird squawked, attempting to wipe it off. Grimacing, Shizuka looked at Geremon. Yoko looked at Gatomon and then Shizuka, who nodded. Grabbing her partner, Shizuka shot off down the hallway. Yoko and Gatomon followed after her quickly, running full force.

"Hey, where are you going?" Geremon demanded, chasing them and throwing more feces. "You're supposed to fight me!"

Unfortunately for the yellow Digimon, the humans and their partners were too fast, though some of his throws landed hits on their backs. They turned down one hallway and then another before he had even reached the end of the first.

Shizuka slid to a stop just as Biyomon got the last of the feces off her face. Bent over, Yoko looked up at the older girl. Gatomon let out a sigh of relief. Setting down her partner, Shizuka looked the bird over.

"That was disgusting!" Biyomon hissed. "I can't believe that jerk threw poop at us!"

"I'm taking a bath after we get back to File City," Yoko said, looking at the back of her shirt by twisting it slightly.

"Oh, believe me, I am too," Biyomon grunted.

"Let's go," Shizuka ordered, "before he shows back up."

They took off running again.

0-0-0

When they began to near soft voices, Dobermon gradually slowed his gait. The duo walked into a spacious, circular room. Across the right "side" were jail cells. Inside them were various Digimon, most of who appeared to be Rookies. Mikami slid off her partner's back and ran up to the closest cell, grabbing the bars. The Digimon inside looked surprised to see the human, and some even looked scared.

"We're here to help," she whispered.

Dobermon trotted over, examining the locks. "I may be able to break them."

"Then do it! We need to get them out of here."

"Are you certain of that?"

The two turned as the prisoners moved away from the bars. A Digimon strode into the room from the opposite side, holding a sword in his hand. He wore samurai armor resembling that of feudal Japan. Most of his face couldn't been seen from under the helmet he wore, but his golden eyes stood out clearly. The Digimon stopped halfway across the room, looking at Mikami and Dobermon with mild interest. Slowly, as if he found it necessary, he turned his gaze to the prisoners.

"You must be one of the DigiDestined," the samurai mused. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to elaborate your interest in these captives."

Mikami slid closer to Dobermon. "Who are you to ask?"

He chuckled. "I am Musyamon, child. One of the greatest swordsmen within the Master's ranks."

"I'll believe that when I see it," the brunette replied.

"Hmph. I have heard reports from fellow soldiers about the strength of your group. You and your partner are the ones who defeated Angela and Devimon, no?"

Snorting, Dobermon glared. "Maybe we were. What's it to you?"

Musyamon slid his sword back into his sheath with a laugh. "Perhaps, one day soon, we will battle. For now…" He looked at the cells. "Set them free."

Mikami's eyes widened. "What? But why would you let us free them without a fight?"

The samurai pondered the question. "I do have my reasons, I assure you. I simply cannot tell you. I must ask, though, that you not tell anyone of our conversation." He reached down, pulling the keys off of the belt he wore. "Here. It will be quieter and quicker to use these."

He tossed them at Mikami, who barely caught them. When she looked up, he had walked up to the door. He stopped, glancing back at the two.

"I am afraid I did not catch your name."

Hesitantly, the brunette said, "Mikami."

Musyamon smirked, turning so his back was to them. "Until we meet again." With that, he walked out.

Dobermon relaxed slightly, but was still on the alert. Mikami walked up to one of the cells and was about to insert a key when someone shouted her name. Looking to the door, she watched as Tadashi, Gabumon, Judai, and Dorumon ran into the room. She let out a sigh of relief at seeing them and pulled off some of the keys. She threw them at the humans and their partners.

"Unlock the cells. Hurry!" She ordered.

"Alright," Judai said, running to the far end with Dorumon.

Tadashi and Gabumon headed towards the middle shortly after. Working as quickly as they could, they unlocked the cells. Tadashi looked at Mikami once all the prisoners were free, a serious expression on his face.

"Mikami, you and Dobermon should get them out of here. Judai and I will find the others," he said.

"But Tadashi—" She cut herself off, frowning.

"He's right," Dobermon whispered. "I can make an exit through the wall, and we need to leave now. We'll be putting these Digimon in danger if we don't. Besides, I can protect them."

Gripping her fist, Mikami looked at Judai and Tadashi. "You two be careful, alright? Let's go, Dobermon!"

The dog turned, releasing several blasts of black energy from his mouth. After the last one hit, the wall exploded outwards, leaving a fairly large hole. Mikami ushered the prisoners out, letting Dobermon follow after them. She briefly looked at her two friends before she ran after the Digimon.

Judai looked at Tadashi with a hint of concern. "Was that such a good idea…?"

"It's for the best," Tadashi replied, not bothering to explain. "Come on. We need to find everyone else."

As he walked away, Gabumon followed. Dorumon glanced at Judai with a confused look, but Judai wasn't sure either. The blonde didn't see how sending off their leader and one of the stronger fighters of their group was "for the best" like Tadashi said. Wasn't something like that a bad thing, because of the fact that they were, technically, two people short? What exactly was going through Tadashi's head?

0-0-0

The sound of an explosion echoed in the hallway.

Dorumon yelped, surprised, and clung to his partner's leg. "What was that?"

"I think it came from the center of the building," Tadashi muttered, rushing to the door. "We should hurry. It could be one of our friends."

"But where's the center even _at?!_" Judai shouted, running after the older boy.

"Just follow me!"

Only a few, long hallways away, Shizuka, Yoko, and their partners were still navigating the building.

When the explosion caused the building to shake, the girls nearly lost their footing. Steadying herself, Shizuka looked at Yoko, who was visibly alarmed. Biyomon flapped frantically, hovering by her partner's head. Gatomon grabbed Yoko's hand with her paw, trying to calm the surprised girl. Turning, Shizuka looked at Yoko, making sure her friend was okay. The redhead recovered quickly, causing Gatomon to let go. The cat raised her head, sniffing the air.

"Do you smell anything?" Biyomon asked, approaching the Champion.

"I think," she said. "It almost smells like…Kyubimon? My nose isn't as good as hers or Dobermon's, so I'm not sure. Hmm, what…I think I can smell someone else."

Shizuka waited for the cat to inform them as to who it was. She was still smelling, though. "Well, don't leave us hanging."

"Gabumon and Dorumon, that's for sure. I'm pretty sure Judai and Tadashi are with them," Gatomon reported.

Yoko's face brightened. "Really? Where?"

"Not too far from here. Same direction we were going. I think," she added, not entirely sure. Her nose was pretty strong at this level, but she wasn't able to pick out individual scents very well. The only reason she recognized Dorumon and Gabumon so easily was because of the fact that she had known them for so long.

"Let's go, then! And after we get their sorry butts, we can find Daiki," Shizuka stated.

Biyomon grinned at her partner. "Onward!"

Taking the lead once more, Shizuka sprang forward, running. She wanted to find the two boys before anything else happened. Despite the fact that she didn't want to admit it to herself, she _was_ worried about them. One of the bad things about having friends and a brother. _You always worry about them one way or another_, she thought to herself. At least it gave her something to do, in a strange sort of way.

Gatomon shouted directions when she thought they should turn. While she usually didn't take well to being "bossed around" by anyone, she accepted the cat's suggestions. It was better to find their _targets_ as soon as they could. When they did, Shizuka was going to give Tadashi a lecture. None of this would have happened if he hadn't suddenly froze at the sight of Meramon.

_I know he gets easily startled sometimes, but jeez! Even Yoko is manlier than he is at times, and that is the statement of the century! I need to—_

Her thoughts were cut off when she slammed into someone. Momentarily losing her footing, she stumbled backwards. Her fall was stopped by Yoko, who barely grabbed ahold of her. The redhead pushed Shizuka to her feet, gently letting go. Thoughts ran through her head as Shizuka prepared a speech, but when she saw who it was that had ran into her, she stopped.

"Shizuka!" Judai exclaimed. "Yoko!"

"Judai, Tadashi!" Yoko yelled back, running past Shizuka to hug the boys. "Oh! I was so worried about you!"

Tadashi's face turned red. "C-can't breathe."

Giggling, Yoko released the two boys, and then looked at their partners. "Thanks for bringing them back," she said jokingly.

"You—!" Shizuka cut herself off, trying not to yell at her brother. "Next time, would you just listen to Mikami?"

Tadashi folded his arms. "I'll have you know we ran into her and helped her to unlock the cells the citizens of File City were locked in."

"Wait a minute, Mikami was _with_ you?" Shizuka hissed. "Where is she now?"

"Taking the Digimon back to File City?" Judai muttered, chuckling uncertainly.

"Why didn't you go _with her?_" The lilac haired girl demanded. "What are you, stupid?

"We reassured her that we would find everyone first," Tadashi replied. "Can we not argue right now? She's going to need your help, and Yoko's, to get everyone back safely to the city."

"What, and leave you and Judai here? Oh, no, I don't think so, bud."

"There are hardly any guards here, Shizuka, and Daiki is most likely still here. At any rate, you're not going to make Mikami protect those Digimon alone, are you? Many of them were injured."

"I can't just leave you two here when you're partners can't Digivolve! What kind of—"

"Stop arguing!" Yoko unexpectedly snapped. "Guys, we really don't have time for this! Shizuka, Tadashi has a point. Mikami and Dobermon can't protect _all_ those Digimon by themselves! We need to go! Besides, if they get in trouble, I'm sure their partners will Digivolve, just like Biyomon and Salamon."

Huffing, Shizuka glared at her twin. He stared back. That strange, little twin-link they had with each other begun to buzz, and she knew he was planning something. Getting in the way would probably be a bad idea. Besides, he knew what he was doing. She had trusted him before, and even though they were in a more serious situation, she'd trust him again.

"Fine!" She grumbled.

"If you go the way we came from, you'll find the room with the cells. There's a hole in the wall you can get out of," Judai told her, "Dobermon made it."

"Alright, alright…Come on, you three."

She briefly glanced at the four boys before disappearing around the corner, Yoko, Biyomon, and Gatomon right behind her. Tadashi rubbed his temples and sighed.

"You keep sending everyone off," Gabumon noted. "Is there a particular reason?"

"You'll just have to trust me on this," Tadashi replied.

"Not that I don't trust you and all," Dorumon mumbled, "but an explanation would be nice."

"Too bad I don't have an actual explanation."

Judai's eyes widened. "Huh? You don't—wait!"

He hurried after the boy, Gabumon and Dorumon by his side. Tadashi wished he could explain why he had made the three girls leave, but even he wasn't entirely sure. It was just a feeling he had, the kind that pushed its way to the front of your mind and wouldn't leave you alone until you did what _it_ wanted. Said feeling was also what led him to coming this way in the first place, and they had ended up finding his sister and Yoko. It had to be a good thing. Well, he _hoped_ it was a good thing.

And he hoped it led them to Daiki. Mikami would kill him if they didn't find the oldest of the group.

Another explosion nearly made Tadashi fall flat on his face. Regaining his balance, he frowned. That had been much closer than before. Was someone battling, or was it something else? There was only one way to find out, and that was to investigate. Still, they needed to find the last of their friends. It would be one or the other.

_Or not_, he thought to himself when he heard footsteps ahead of them.

"What's that?" Gabumon asked.

"I don't know," Tadashi said. "But it's heading this way."

"Should we run?" Judai wondered.

"No point in it."

"But you know we can't Digivolve yet," Dorumon pointed out. "What if we're attacked and we don't?"

"I have complete faith in you."

The two Digimon glanced at each other, unsure of what to think about the statement and yet relieved that he did believe in them. Judai thought of something to say, but Tadashi had a point. They needed to believe in their partners.

"So do I!" Judai said.

They continued forward. As they came around the corner of the hallway, they could see a Digimon picking their way out of rubble. It was a samurai, of all things. He noticed them, but continued making his way out of the broken mess around him. Judai looked at the information on his Digivice as it appeared.

"Musyamon. He's a Champion level Digimon," the blonde said. "Maybe we should…"

Judai didn't finish, but Tadashi knew what he was going to say. He waved off the boy.

"Judai, you and Dorumon keep going."

"What?! But, Tadashi…"

"Go."

"Ugh," Judai groaned, motioning to Dorumon as he dashed past Musyamon. "I am _so_ having the others yell at you when we get out of here!"

Tadashi snorted. "Whatever you say."

Gabumon looked up at his partner. "Um, are you sure…?"

He dismissed his partner's question and looked at Musyamon. "You don't seem to care about the rather obvious damage here. That means one of two things: You don't particularly care about this place even though they are your allies…or you don't work here at all."

"Your observation skills are certainly sharp," Musyamon replied.

"So, which one is it?"

"I suppose you could say that both are correct," the samurai said. "Hmm, I am surprised that your friend was not able to deduce the information you were able to."

"Friend?"

"Mikami, I do believe. I did not fight her, might I add. I simply gave her the keys."

"Then you're a spy," Tadashi stated.

Musyamon chuckled. "I prefer the term 'covert operator' when describing myself."

"Huh?" Gabumon grunted, looking between the two. He was lost.

"At any rate, I do request you not leak information concerning myself to any others. You should go. Your companions, the one with the silver hair and the fox, are currently battling with the leader of this fortress."

_So, it's a fortress? It certainly doesn't look like one,_ Tadashi thought to himself as he nodded. "What are you going to do?"

"I will finish my job. Now hurry and go help your friend. He is in a room not far from here. Oh, before it slips my mind: There is not one here, but spread throughout the Digital World are Dark Crystals that supply the Master's army with power beyond that of their normal limits."

Tadashi nodded to the samurai. "Thank you." With that, he ran off.

"How do we know that we can really trust you?" Gabumon asked.

"Do you truly ever know?" Musyamon replied. "You have my word. A samurai never goes back on a promise."

The reptile was skeptical, but if the samurai really was an ally… "I'll trust you, for now."

He rushed after Tadashi.

0-0-0

A harsh kick to her ribs sent Kyubimon skidding backwards. Daiki ran in front of her, staring at the Digimon that was marching towards them. He crouched, placing a hand on her as she let out heavy breaths.

This had been a mistake. Once again, Daiki let it get to his head. He had thought he could take on the Digimon that _ran_ this place with just him and his partner. How stupid that was. He watched as Kyubimon tried to push herself to her feet. She did, but she was shaking with the effort.

"Daiki, Kyubimon!"

He turned his head to look, and was rather surprised to see Judai, Tadashi, and their partners running towards him. Judai and Dorumon stopped beside him, but Tadashi paused in front of Daiki. The oldest of the three looked at them, confused.

"What're you doing here? Where are the others?"

"They're safe," Judai told him. "And they're taking the prisoners back to File City."

"They got them out? That's good. But why didn't you go with them?"

Tadashi glanced back at him. "We figured you'd still be here."

"You guys are idiots," Daiki declared. "But thanks."

"Never thought to hear that."

"Are you done with your lovely little reunion?" The Digimon standing opposite of them asked. "If you are, I want to get back to _killing you_."

The Digimon was tall, towering over Kyubimon. He looked like a robot or a cyborg, but made out of wood. Beady yellow eyes and sharp, pointy teeth made him somewhat intimidating. Tadashi grabbed his Digivice from his pocket and looked to Gabumon. The small reptile looked uncertain, but Tadashi knew that they could do this. It was that feeling again, practically taking center stage in his head.

"Don't you dare," Kyubimon growled, eyeing the wooden Digimon, "come near them, Arbormon."

"Or what?" Arbormon wondered with a laugh. "You're barely standing! And these little _Rookies_ aren't going to be much against me."

"We'll still fight!" Gabumon said.

"And we'll protect our partners!" Dorumon added, baring his teeth.

Light filtered out of Tadashi's Digivice, and Judai's soon followed. As the two watcher, their partners were bathed in a white light.

"Gabumon Digivolve to…"

"Dorumon Digivolve to…"

Their shapes shifted and grew, changing. When the light faded, a massive blue and white wolf stood there, snarling. Beside him was a large, dark purple animal with lighter tinted stripes. Wings sprouted from his back that flapped, and both its front paws and rear paws had three, wicked sharp red claws.

"Garurumon!"

"Dorugamon!"

"T-they Digivolved!" Judai exclaimed, a look of wonder on his face.

Tadashi nodded. "I knew they would. Now, let's teach Arbormon a lesson he won't forget."

Arbormon burst out laughing, placing a hand against his head. "Oh, that's rich! Look at the babies, thinking they're all tough and mighty! How stupid are you?"

Tadashi's eye twitched in irritation. "Garurumon, if you would."

The wolf grinned. "It would be my pleasure."

"Wait," Kyubimon muttered, but lost her footing and collapsed, reverting to Renamon.

"Don't worry about us," Dorugamon reassured her. "We can take of this."

"Leave it to them," Daiki whispered, kneeling beside her. He never thought he'd have to say that!

Annoyed, Arbormon ran at Garurumon. Lowering himself, Garurumon tightened his muscles and waited. Once the cyborg reached him, the wolf jumped. His hind feet slammed into Arbormon's head. He landed, turning to watch Arbormon spin around, glaring. The cyborg made to chase the wolf, but Dorugamon rushed him, tackling him. Arbormon attempted to grab him, but Dorugamon slipped out of his grasp and hovered around him, wings flapping.

"Grr…you little brats!" Arbormon snapped. "That's it, no more going easy!"

"You were going easy on us?" Judai asked, genuinely curious.

"Blockade Seed!" Arbormon shouted.

A giant seed flew out of his mouth straight at Dorugamon. The winged beast dodged, but was caught off guard when it exploded against the wall. He flipped through the air, righting himself just before he hit the floor. More came at him, and Dorugamon flew off, doing his best to avoid the attacks. By flying around the room, he was able to get to Arbormon to turn his back to Garurumon. Blue flames built up in the wolf's mouth.

"Howling Blaster!"

The flames spewed out of Garurumon's mouth, washing over Arbormon. The attack stopped the cyborg from firing the bombs at Dorugamon, who paused to land on the floor. Arbormon jumped out of the flames, black spots scattered on his body. He stumbled, glaring at the two Champions in anger. Gripping his fist, he opened his mouth again.

"Blockade Seed!"

"Again?" Garurumon grunted.

As the bombs flew out of Arbormon's mouth at the two, they dodged. Weaving in between the bombs and sliding out of the way, the two beast Digimon avoided being hit. Eventually the two split up, further frustrating the angry cyborg. He focused his attention on Garurumon, dismissing Dorugamon. The giant wolf was easily able to evade the bombs. Dorugamon dropped to the ground, raising his head as he accumulated power.

"Power Metal!"

An iron sphere shot out of Dorugamon's mouth. Arbormon turned to look at him, but the ball hit him squarely in the chest. Caught off guard, the cyborg lost his balance. Garurumon lunged, digging his teeth into Arbormon's arm. Ice began to spread from the canine's fangs, encasing the arm he was biting. Arbormon frantically shook his arm until he was able to fling the wolf off. Looking down at his arm, the wooden cyborg saw that most of bitten area was frozen.

"T-this can't be possible—!"

He was cut off as Dorugamon once again shouted, "Power Metal!"

As the iron ball headed for him, Arbormon shot out a seed bomb. It exploded against the metal, sending up a cloud of smoke between the fighters. Garurumon rushed forward, fire bursting from his mouth.

"Howling…Blaster!"

Just as the wolf came through the smoke, the blue fire erupted from his maw. It completely engulfed Arbormon, burning until it lit the wooden cyborg on fire. Arbormon let out a scream, but Garurumon kept the stream steady as Dorugamon shot iron spheres are the opposing Champion. After a while, he burst into data.

Half of the data was absorbed by Garurumon, while Dorugamon took the other half. They trotted up to the humans, both turning their attention to Renamon.

"We should leave," Garurumon rumbled.

"Think you could offer me a ride?" Daiki asked, half-heartedly joking.

Tadashi helped him to get Renamon onto Garurumon's back before jumping on himself. Dorugamon lowered himself to the ground, waiting for Judai to get on. The blonde looked at him skeptically.

"Can you carry me?" He asked.

"To be fair," Dorugamon replied, "you're not _that_ big."

Judai glared. "I don't appreciate that."

He climbed onto Dorugamon's back, and the group headed off.

0-0-0

"I thought they'd be here by now," Yoko said, worry in her voice.

Of course, all three of them had assumed the boys would have joined them by the time they were out of sight of the fortress. Mikami stopped, looking back the way they came with an apprehensive look. Shizuka couldn't blame her, because even she was worried. The group of Digimon they were escorting stopped with them, realizing that the DigiDestined needed a moment.

Thoughts were running through Mikami's mind that she didn't like: _What if something happened? What if they got in a fight? What if they're hurt? Or worse?_

Dobermon sniffed.

Caught off guard by the sound, Mikami looked at her partner. "Huh?"

"Incoming," he warned, but the tone of his voice indicating that he was joking.

Well, that had to be a good thing. Two shapes were materializing in the distance. As they came closer, Mikami could make out what appeared to be a giant wolf and some sort of flying Digimon. Only a couple of minutes later, Garurumon slid to a stop, and Dorugamon landed. Judai remained on his partner, looking at Mikami with a grin.

"You're all okay!" The brunette sighed in relief.

"For the most part," Tadashi grunted.

Dobermon noticed immediately that Renamon was injured and hurried up to where she sat on Garurumon's back. He said nothing at first, choosing instead to nuzzle her. It was an unexpected sight, though no one commented on it. Renamon whispered in his ear to comfort him, and he shook his head.

"Will you be okay?" He asked.

She chuckled quietly. "I will be fine. For now, we should focus on getting these Digimon home.

X-0-X

When they returned to File City, it was well into the afternoon. Hagurumon met them at the gate, beyond grateful. Unfortunately, the group couldn't afford to waste any time. After a small rest and a meal, they left to head back through the Mountain Zone, Leomon with them.

* * *

Musyamon is awesome. Also, hope no one minds the shift of focus to Tadashi in this one. Since he had yet to have some spotlight, I wanted to give him some.

I'll be sure to try and update more often, now that I have free time! Don't forget to leave a review. Thanks!


	13. 12 - Sword Of Doubt

Surprised? Here's the new update already! What can I say, I've had a lot of free time. Maybe if I'm lucky I can get in another update or two in this month alone. Don't forget to let me know if you see any errors or anything. With my terrible eyes, I only catch a few, haha. Enjoy!

* * *

Once again they were in the Mountain Zone, navigating the terrain. This time, however, they were taking a different path. Unfortunately, the one they were now taking wasn't straightforward. It twisted and curved unexpectedly, making it hard to know where exactly they were going. At times it would become rather narrow, to where only one person at a time could go. Not only that, but when it was least expected, the ground would become rough and hard to cross. The journey was proving to be more bothersome than anything.

Of course, they were also somewhat slowed. Though she had, to some extent, recovered from the botched fight with Arbormon, Renamon was still hurt. Without at least a brief rest now and then, it was hard for her to keep going. She didn't admit it, of course, but everyone knew. Most of them took turns helping her, despite the fact she wasn't happy about it.

Impmon, unsurprisingly, stayed at her side whenever he could. At that moment, Daiki was to the left of Renamon, with Impmon on her right and Mikami beside her partner. The imp was trying to look like his usual self by having his arms behind his head and a nonchalant look on his face.

"How're you holding up?" Daiki asked, looking at Renamon.

"I am doing better," the fox answered.

"Sure you're gonna be okay?" Impmon grunted, glancing up at her.

Chuckling, Renamon lowered her gaze to him. "Is there a particular reason as to why you are this concerned?"

A flustered look appeared on his face. "What, I can't be worried about my friend?"

"You know, it's okay to talk about your feelings," Mikami told him jokingly.

He stared at her. "I-I don't know what you're talkin' about!"

"Oh?" Daiki grunted. "Nuzzling up to Renamon when we came back?"

Blushing, the imp glared daggers at Daiki. "Shut up!"

"I would advise you to lower your voices," Leomon said suddenly, "in case any enemies are nearby."

The four of them looked toward the lion before exchanging glances. Impmon folded his arms, huffing in annoyance at the two humans. He had basically been scolded because they were taking the time to tease him. And they called _him_ childish! At least he didn't take something and make it something else entirely! Well, he tried his best not to do that in most situations. Pushing the thought aside, he looked at Renamon. Her shoulders were drooping slightly, which he had figured out was a sign she was getting tired.

"Hey," he said, just loud enough for Leomon to hear, "we should probably take a break soon."

The lion rumbled. "Hmm, I suppose you are correct. We have been walking for some time."

"Impmon," Renamon sighed.

"Don't you 'Impmon' me," the imp replied.

She put her paw against her face with a groan.

"He's just worried," Mikami said, smiling. "Indulge him."

"_Indulge_ me?" Impmon hissed. "Seriously?"

"Um," Yoko mumbled, appearing just behind Mikami, "we do need to rest, though."

Twisting around, Mikami looked at those who were behind her. While Shizuka was fine, Judai looked tired, and Tadashi was practically dragging himself. Out of all of them, the blue-haired boy was the least active, so it wasn't surprising. And the only reason he had done so well the day before was probably because of adrenaline. The brunette highly doubted that he would have been running around the way he had without it. With that in mind, it wasn't hard for her to accept the fact that he had lost his energy. Even Gabumon and Dorumon were showing signs of being tired. Impmon and Yoko were right after all. If they wanted to get any further, they at least needed a brief rest.

"Alright," she muttered. "Let's find a place to take a break."

"There is an indention in the rock wall farther along the path that we can rest in," Leomon reported.

They made their way to the indention and settled down. Shizuka looked at Tadashi once they all were comfortable. He leaned away, frowning.

"So, you gonna tell us more about those crystals?" She asked.

"I already told you everything," Tadashi stated. "Do you think I would withhold information? As I said before, they are scattered throughout the Digital World, and they supply Digimon with additional power."

"But you have _no_ idea where they are?" Judai asked, confused.

"Do I have to keep telling you that I don't?" Tadashi replied. "I am being honest when I say that I have no clue where one might be."

Daiki coughed. "He finally _doesn't_ know something for once," he muttered.

"Really, Daiki? How mature of you," Tadashi said in an annoyed tone of voice. "At any rate, we should search as we go now that we're deeper in the mountains."

"Is it possible for the Digivices to pick up the energy signature of the crystals?" Renamon wondered, placing her paw against her chin.

Yoko made a small noise. "Can they pick up any energy?"

"Yes, they can. That's how the devices can correctly identify Digimon," Salamon answered.

"I suppose it's possible, with some tinkering," Tadashi mumbled under his breath. "But I would have to know what the signature is for the crystals. I'll have to figure out how to…"

"Okay, well, that's enough listening to you ramble," Shizuka grumbled. She looked at Leomon. "How much farther to the next Zone?"

"There is still much ground to cover," Leomon answered. "At the rate we are going, it may not be until tomorrow that we arrive."

Shizuka quietly groaned. "If only we could have our partners Digivolve," she said, "but then that'd be shouting that we're here."

"Indeed. It is hard to determine whether or not there are enemy forces here, so we must not risk revealing ourselves."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," the girl replied.

"It's better to keep on the low anyways," Mikami pointed out. "We need a number on that fortress, you know. We're probably more of a priority now because of that, besides the fact that we're the DigiDestined."

"Which is pretty bad," Judai added, "because we've been in the Digital World for…I dunno, a week? And we've gotten a lot of attention from the Digimon or whatever that we're supposed to stop."

"Good point. Maybe we're drawing a _little_ too much attention to ourselves," Impmon grunted.

"A little?" Renamon grunted. "The entire army has most likely been alerted to our actions."

"I get it, okay? Sheesh."

They sat there for some time before Leomon deemed them rested enough to resume. He took the lead once more as they continued on the path. It sloped downwards, and they carefully picked their way down as they walked. Mikami paid little attention to her surroundings as she mused over what Leomon had said. The group really couldn't afford to take so long trying to get through these mountains. Even though they had brought supplies, she didn't think it would last them that long. They needed to figure out a way to pick up the pace. Maybe there was some sort of shortcut through this place, or a cave system going under the mountains. Just _something_ to help.

A faraway rumble caught her attention. The others noticed the sound as well. Yoko, surprised, tried to discreetly grab Daiki's hand.

"What was that?" Judai asked.

"A volcano," Biyomon answered. "It tends to rumble and make noise, but it rarely ever erupts."

Shizuka snorted. "How often is 'rarely', Biyomon?"

"Once every few years."

"Sometimes with even longer periods between," Gabumon added to assure Yoko.

"Oh…okay," Yoko whispered.

Daiki gripped her hand with a grin.

A closer rumble caused Mikami to raise her head. A boulder rolled down not far from them and slammed into the ground below. Suspicious, she looked at Leomon.

"Do boulders just randomly fall down, too?" She asked, though it wasn't a serious question.

"Most definitely not," Renamon stated. "I can hear something close to where the boulder came from. We're not alone."

"Surprise, surprise," Impmon grumbled.

Leomon drew his sword, holding it tightly. "Let us move, now, while we still have time."

"You okay to run?" Impmon asked, looking at Renamon.

The fox nodded just as Leomon began to run. Everyone quickly dashed forward, following the lion, with Daiki falling in last. The sound of something thudding against the ground made Daiki turn his head. Behind them, several Digimon were rushing after them, a red demon-like Digimon in the lead. He wasn't the level of all the Digimon, but judging by their confident expressions, he'd say most of them were Champions. He and his friends were fast, but he doubted they were fast enough to outrun all the Digimon chasing them. And then there was Renamon, who was still having troubles…

"Hey, we've got Digimon behind us!" He shouted.

"Biyomon!" Shizuka yelled.

The bird rose upwards, Digivolving as she did so. Soon enough Birdramon was hovering over the group, shooting off fireballs that rained down on their pursuers. She circled around, flying past the group and landing a short distance away. Renamon grabbed hold of Impmon and Salamon and jumped onto the bird's back as Leomon picked up Yoko and Judai and followed her. Daiki hopped onto one of the legs alongside Mikami. The twins climbed onto the other leg, and Leomon helped Gabumon and Dorumon up. Just as the Digimon chasing them were about to catch up, Birdramon launched herself into the air and took off.

"So much for being inconspicuous," Dorumon remarked.

The comment caused Impmon to laugh. "It was bound to happen."

"Yes, but it is still bothersome," Renamon said. "We might as well fly to the Ice Zone."

"You okay?" Daiki asked, one arm wrapped around Birdramon's leg and the other gripping Mikami's shoulder.

She couldn't give him an exact answer. The sudden takeoff had jarred her and trying to hang on had pulled the shoulder he was holding out of place, but otherwise, she was fine.

"Need a moment," she said, shifting. "Pull on my arm, please."

He grabbed her wrist with his free hand. "Why?"

"Shoulder popped out and—**hngh**," she grunted. He gave her an apologetic look as she cringed. She hadn't meant to make any noise, but it came out anyways.

"Better?"

She rolled her shoulder to double check it and nodded. "Thanks."

"Hey, lovebirds, break it up," Shizuka ordered with a slight laugh.

Daiki glowered, annoyed, and Mikami prepared to make a retort. Before she could, a flash caught her eye, followed by a shriek of pain from Birdramon. They began to drop as she struggled to keep herself in the air. Mikami did her best to hold on while the bird shook her legs, trying to fight off the pain. A second flash hit her in the back, barely missing those riding above and almost making Dorumon fall. Looking towards where they were heading, Mikami realized that it was going to be a rather rough landing.

Birdramon slammed into the ground, twisting as she did so. Mikami felt herself go flying, only to be grabbed by Daiki. He took the brunt of the fall, being on the bottom with her on top of him. Everyone else had been thrown off, scattered across the small area. Tucking in her arms, Mikami rolled off of Daiki and looked at him. Moans drew her attention, and when she looked up, she could see Tadashi and Shizuka picking themselves off the ground. The blue-haired boy swayed, but his sister caught him and held him up.

Were the others okay?

She turned her gaze towards Birdramon, who had gotten herself to a standing position. Her right wing was injured and somewhat twisted, the latter probably from the fall, and her back was also wounded. Mikami caught sight of everyone else as they began to stand up and stagger. Turning her attention back to Daiki, she dragged herself closer to him to look him over. Even though they hadn't fallen from a high height, they had hit the ground hard. The only reason why she was conscious was because he had broken her fall. Daiki, though, laid there unmoving.

"Daiki?" She whispered, placing her ear against his chest. Well, his heart was beating, so that was a good sign.

Shizuka, supporting Tadashi, approached. When she noticed Daiki, she hurried and stopped beside him.

"Is he okay?" Tadashi asked.

"To be honest, I don't know. How is everyone else?"

Glancing to the side, Tadashi scanned the others as they slowly made their way over. Birdramon had yet to revert to her Rookie level and was dragging her injured wing as she walked. Yoko, seeing the unconscious teen, ran over with a panicked look. Leomon, examining the area, frowned.

"We need to move," the lion stated. "Our pursuers will be here any moment."

"I know, but what about Daiki?" Mikami mumbled, pushing herself to her knees. She winced. "He broke my fall when Birdramon fell."

The bird made a small noise and lowered her head. Shizuka pushed Tadashi into Leomon's arms and walked up to her partner, patting her on the chest.

"Hey, it's not your fault. Those attacks came out of nowhere. Go ahead and de-Digivolve."

Nodding, Birdramon let herself revert to Biyomon. Shizuka scooped her up, holding the reluctant bird in her arms.

"Mikami, I will carry Daiki," Leomon said. "We must go."

The brunette nodded, moving away from Daiki. Judai helped Tadashi as Leomon crouched, wrapping his arms around Daiki. Once the lion picked him up, they began their trek. Renamon ran ahead, disappearing behind several boulders. When they neared the rocks, she reappeared and motioned to her left. She led them to a cave with a tunnel hidden by stalagmites.

None of them knew where it went, but it was their best shot. With everyone feeling the effects of the crash, they couldn't afford to jump into a fight. Taking a deep breath, Mikami strode into the tunnel. Blue light flooded the area around them, and she glanced back to see that Renamon's paws were engulfed in blue flames. Grateful for the light, Mikami nodded and continued forward. The flames lightened the tunnel several feet in front of them, allowing them to see when it curved and where smaller side tunnels began.

She wasn't sure how long they had been walking for when they stumbled into a large, open cavern. The sound of water could be heard, and when Renamon investigated, they found a small waterfall pouring out of a crack in the rock and into a tiny pool. It seemed like a good enough spot to rest. She turned to Leomon, who was still cradling Daiki.

"Think we'll be safe in here?" She asked.

"We should be," he answered, gently placing Daiki down by the pool. "To be safe, we should move that boulder over there and block the way we came."

"That's probably our best option right now. There wouldn't be anything in here we could burn, would there?"

Gabumon and Dorumon took to exploring, but quickly came back, shaking their heads. Unless they went searching for wood or anything flammable, Renamon would have to keep her flames going.

Impmon cleared his throat and flicked his finger, sending a fireball into the air. It stopped and hovered in the air instead of disappearing. Renamon let the fire around her paws go out. Folding his arms, Impmon looked at his partner.

"That should last us a little while," he said.

Yoko settled down beside Daiki, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. Salamon laid by her side, and Renamon joined them. Shizuka splashed her face in the pool, huffing. Once she wiped off most of the water, she turned to Biyomon and looked at her wing. Scrunching up her face, she motioned Tadashi over. Gabumon joined them, squinting as he looked at the injuries. Leomon walked up to the boulder nearby and slowly pushed it until it sat directly in front of the entrance.

Judai sat down beside Mikami, Dorumon curling up against him.

"How're you feeling?" She asked, looking at Judai and Dorumon.

"Uh…fine, I guess. I feel like a sumo wrestler tackled me, but I'll be okay," Judai mumbled.

"And I didn't get hurt too badly, so that's…good, right?" Dorumon told her, smiling.

She chuckled before letting her gaze drift to Impmon. He was flicking fireballs into the air around the one that was floating, a bored—and annoyed?—look on his face. Sliding her feet out of from underneath her, she stood up and strode towards him. She took a seat beside him, crossing her legs and looking at him expectantly. The two of them had talked with each other often since the humans had come to the Digital World. Maybe it was because they were partners, but who knew? She told him things that only Daiki and Yoko were privy too, and she wasn't entirely sure why she trusted him with the information. Then again, she did trust him with her life, so that was something.

"You okay?" She asked.

There it was, his signature pout. "If you're wonderin' if I got hurt, not really. I'm just mad."

"Mad about…?"

He let out a loud huff. "Just…this!" He growled quietly, flailing his arms dramatically. "Biyomon is hurt, Daiki's out..." He rubbed at his eyes for a moment.

"None of that is your fault."

"Yeah, but I _feel_ like it is," he muttered, shoulders drooping and head lowered.

"You're definitely not acting like your usual self," Mikami sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Come on, where's that confident, hardheaded partner of mine?"

He grinned, somewhat half-heartedly, and lightly punched her arm. "Shut up."

"Oh, you've hurt me!" She whispered, faking a hurt expression as she looked at him as she held her arm.

"Alright, that's enough of that," he told her. "You being comforting is weird." He _was_ smiling though, so she wasn't doing a bad job.

"When Daiki wakes up, we'll get out of here," Mikami decided, leaning back. "And if everyone starts feeling better, we'll surprise the jerks who attacked us."

Impmon smirked. "Yeah. That sounds nice."

They sat there for some time, waiting. Shizuka, Tadashi, and Gabumon took care of Biyomon, and Yoko had pulled off a ripped portion of her clothing that was near her ankles (as it was near the point of falling off anyways) to dip it into the pool and place on Daiki's forehead. She and Renamon took turns wringing out the old water off to the side, soaking it, and placing it back on Daiki's forehead. Judai and Dorumon took to talking, and soon the conversation turned to Judai explaining to his partners about video games. Leomon, ever the vigilant watcher, sat with his back against the boulder, arms and legs crossed. With his eyes closed, he almost appeared to be asleep, but every movement the group made caused his ears to twitch.

While she wasn't sure how much time had passed, Mikami knew it had been quite a while when there was a rather loud groan that echoed against the rock. She was greeted by the sight of a shifting Daiki when she turned to investigate. Legs stiff from sitting, she opted to crawl over to him, despite the teasing from Impmon as he walked beside her. Blinking open his eyes slowly, Daiki grunted, letting his eyes adjust to the soft light. He glanced around just as everyone, aside from Leomon, turned to look at him. The mixture of surprised and relieved looks he received was confusing.

"What…?" He muttered, raising a hand to place against his forehead. When he felt the wet cloth, he pulled it away. "Huh?"

"Feel okay?" Mikami asked him as she leaned over him, taking the cloth from him.

"Someone hit me in the head…?" His voice was rather hoarse.

"The ground sure did," Impmon joked, receiving a sharp look from Renamon. "Sorry."

Grunting, Daiki turned on his side, wincing. His head sure hurt as hell.

"Where are we?" He asked quietly.

"We found a suitable cave to rest in," Renamon stated.

He groaned again, putting his hand against his head and using his other hand to push himself halfway up. Though Yoko protested, Mikami helped him to sit up. He leaned against him with a slight pout, not liking the treatment but not feeling well enough to openly complain. And, despite himself, he was enjoying being so close to Mikami. Having her dote on him was rather nice.

"What do you remember?" Yoko questioned him, concerned.

With the way his head felt, he wasn't surprised. He didn't think he had a concussion, though, so that was…_something._

"We were…chased, I think? Got on Birdramon, then…she was hit. Everyone okay?"

"No one got too badly, besides Biyomon," Mikami told him, "and even hers isn't quite as bad as we thought."

"Yeah, _you_ were the worst of it," Impmon said, once again receiving a disappointed look from Renamon. "Hey, he's the one who broke Mikami's fall. Don't look at me like that!"

Daiki mumbled under his breath and glared for a moment before closing his eyes tightly, hissing. Rubbing his back, Mikami sighed. He was awake, but still feeling the effects of the fall. Not that the fact was particularly surprising, but it still set them back even longer. They really did need to get out of the Mountain Zone before those Digimon showed up again and found them. Maybe she could convince Impmon to Digivolve and carry Daiki, in case Renamon couldn't…

Voices outside of the rocky room made them fall silent.

"_Anything?"_

"_No sir, it's a dead end."_

"_Bah! The boss is going to kill us when this is over."_

"_Not as bad as what the Master is going to do if we don't…"_

They slowly faded, until all they could hear was faint echoes they couldn't make out. Leomon stood by the boulder for a few minutes afterwards, listening carefully to make sure the intruders had left. Once he was sure, he turned to the humans and their partners with a serious look on his face.

"We must leave immediately."

This time, Mikami agreed completely. They couldn't afford to waste any time. She looked at Impmon, who nodded. Once he Digivolved and stood in front of her as Dobermon, Tadashi and Judai had their partners do the same. Daiki, with some convincing, allowed Renamon to Digivolve into Kyubimon.

"Are you sure?" He asked the fox.

"I am well enough to carry you," she said.

Leomon helped Daiki onto her back before coaxing Yoko to sit behind him. Mikami jumped onto Dobermon's back, dragging Salamon up with her. Tadashi and Shizuka climbed onto Garurumon, Judai situated himself onto Dorugamon, and Biyomon settled onto Leomon's shoulder. Garurumon took the lead, heading down another tunnel on the far side of the cavern, with everyone falling in behind him. Mikami, holding onto Salamon with one hand and Dobermon's collar with the other, twisted around to make sure all her friends were safely behind them.

Luckily it was easier to see in this tunnel than the previous one.

It hadn't been long when they burst out of the tunnel. Garurumon skid to a stop, barely falling off the edge of the cliff they came out on. Tadashi's eyes were wide as the wolf backed away to stand near the center. Once everyone was out, Leomon ran to take the lead, finding a path down. From the top of the cliff, they could see what looked like white in the far distance. Mikami hoped that it was the Ice Zone.

They more or less slid down the slope leading away from the cliff, stopping at the bottom roughly.

"Which way now?" Kyubimon asked.

Glancing back up at the cliff, Leomon let his eyes trail to where he had seen what appeared to be snow. He turned, heading the opposite direction the slope went, running along the rock wall.

"That'll be quite enough of that," a voice declared.

Head snapping upwards, Leomon growled, placing a hand on his sword. Standing on top of one of the smaller mountains was a tall, human-like Digimon. For gold and white wings were flared out behind her. In one hand she held a scepter, and in the other was a long sword. She jumped down, raising her sword and flying at Leomon. He drew his sword in time to block the attack as Biyomon jumped off his shoulder, startled.

"Darcmon!" Leomon muttered, somewhat surprised.

He pushed, forcing her to move back and land on the ground. She kept her sword pointed at him, an intense look on her face.

"Leomon."

"So the rumors were true," the lion said. "You joined the Master."

"Yes, I did. There was no longer a point in fighting a losing battle," Darcmon replied.

"Leave, now!" He shouted, looking at the DigiDestined. "While you still can!"

For a moment, Mikami hesitated, and then she nodded. She urged Dobermon forward, and he ran, the others following after her as she heading for a path in the direction they had been going. Darcmon spun around to attack them, but Leomon slid in front of her, swinging his sword. She blocked it, angry.

"Why do you continue attempting to resist the Master?" Darcmon demanded, shoving against him.

"Because it is the right thing to do!" He roared.

He stepped back before jumping, slamming into her. Crying out, she stumbled backwards, only to be kicked as Leomon lashed out with his foot.

A shout of surprise caught his attention. Spinning around, he watched as several Digimon jumped down and cut off the DigiDestined. His focus now on them, Darcmon lunged, stabbing her sword forward. The reflection of sunlight off the blade gave Leomon enough warning to move so that the sword went through his shoulder instead of his chest. He jumped backwards, the sword pulling out of him. He grabbed the wounded shoulder as Darcmon shook her head.

Mikami jumped off of Dobermon, Salamon in her arms, rolling out of the way once she hit the ground. The dog ran forward, digging his teeth into a pink rabbit-like Digimon. More than one replaced it, leaping at Dobermon. He struggled to shake them off, snapping at them. One latched onto his back, digging its claws in. A second kicked him in the face, making him yelp.

"Salamon!" Yoko shouted, jumping off of Kyubimon with Daiki.

The pup ran over to her partner, shifting into Gatomon in time to punch a Digimon that looked like a scarecrow. The cat landed and ran at it once more, her foot slamming into its face. Kyubimon finished off the Digimon, biting the bird perched on its arm and making it disappear.

Tadashi and Shizuka, safely off Garurumon, watched as the wolf shot out a stream of flames that engulfed a goat Digimon. Another soon came, though, and rammed its horns into Garurumon's side, causing him to fall onto his side. He scrambled to his feet, jumping onto the horned menace and ripping at it with his claws.

"Rabbitmon, Nohemon, Oryxmon, Pipismon… Just how many of these freaks are there?" Mikami shouted.

Biyomon frantically looked at Shizuka. "Let me help!"

"You're injured!" Shizuka snapped.

"Trust me! Please!"

Shizuka let out a heavy breath and nodded. Biyomon took off into the air, shifting and becoming Birdramon. The bird wheeled around, diving down at Dobermon. Her claws wrapped around one of the Rabbitmon and tossed it into the side of a mountain. Pain shot through her winged and she dropped slightly, wincing. A Pipismon took advantage of the situation, aiming to attack her. Dorugamon cut off the large bat, shooting several metal balls at it.

Another Nohemon pulled out its bow, aiming for Gatomon as the cat dealt with an Oryxmon. Kyubimon tackled the scarecrow before it shot off an arrow, pinning it to the ground. Once she dispatched the Nohemon, she stretched her tails out.

"Fox Tail Inferno!"

The flames lit the Oryxmon on fire, and Gatomon finished it off by stabbing her claws into its face.

"We can't keep this up forever," Dobermon growled, moving in front of Mikami.

Another Digimon caught him off guard, a pitchfork landing just centimeters away from his face. A demon-like Digimon dropped down, grabbing the pitchfork and spinning it around. Dobermon dodged, shooting out a black fireball. The red Digimon used the pitchfork to knock the fireball away, a wry grin on his face.

"Boogiemon, really?!" Mikami exclaimed, looking at her Digivice.

Boogiemon chuckled, stabbing at Dobermon with his pitchfork. The dog growled in frustration before he was able to bite down on the Digimon's arm. He swung his head, sending Boogiemon flying. By the time the red demon recovered, Dobermon was in front of him and shooting a black beam through him.

Turning, Mikami spotted Leomon as he struggled against Darcmon. There had to be a way they could get out of here, but how? They weren't going to leave the lion, not when there were so many enemies around now.

A Rabbitmon jumped towards her, but Dorugamon appeared out of the sky, hitting the rabbit and crushing it underneath his feet. She nodded gratefully to him as he flew upwards, heading for a swarm of Pipismon. Birdramon joined him, blasting the swarm with fire.

"Dobermon, come on!" Mikami shouted, running towards Leomon.

The dog fell in beside her and soon passed her. Before she was even halfway there, he slammed into Darcmon's side, causing her to fall onto her back. He landed, looking at Leomon. The lion frowned, but nodded. Darcmon pushed herself to her feet and swung her sword at Dobermon, who ducked. Leomon blocked her sword with his, and Dobermon clawed her arm. She stumbled back, looking towards her forces.

"How?" She muttered, eyebrows furrowing. "How could possibly hold off such a large number of Digimon?"

"What can I say?" Dobermon grunted. "Having a real purpose to fight for gives us more strength than you can ever hope for."

The winged Digimon stepped away from Dobermon and Leomon, breathing heavily. "Your purpose is for that of a lost cause. Sooner or later you will be defeated by the Master, and then you will regret the choices you've made."

Growling, Dobermon himself to the ground. "Maybe. But I can tell you with confidence that it won't be today."

With a furious look on her face, Darcmon shouted, "All forces retreat!" With that, she jumped up and disappeared within moments into the mountains surrounding them. Soon enough all the Digimon were following her, confused and disappointed in the order. Mikami reached Dobermon, placing a hand on his back. She turned to Leomon, who was still nursing his injured shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Mikami asked, looking at the wound.

"With time," he answered, shaking his head. "I apologize."

"Oh, please. Don't be stupid," she replied, waving him off. "Come on. Let's find a way through the rest of the mountains, huh?"

Mumbling under his breath, Leomon followed Dobermon and Mikami towards the others. Birdramon landed, turning back into Biyomon and collapsing. Shizuka ran over to her, picking her up with a slight smile on her face.

"Take it easy now, birdbrain," she said, earning a pout. "Wouldn't want you to get hurt more, would we?"

Rolling her eyes, Mikami chuckled at Shizuka. The group resumed their walking, finding a path halfway hidden by the curving rocks. Once they passed over the top of the path and it began to descend, she realized she could hear the roar of water. As they went farther, she could begin to see what looked like a waterfall. When it was in full sight, she could see the small body of water it was pouring into. A small island was at its center, and on that island was…well, a dark purple and grey crystal.

"I think that's one of those Dark Crystals we were looking for," Judai joked with a laugh.

"I do believe so," Tadashi said. "We should destroy now."

Dobermon snorted, trotting down the path and heading for the island, "I got this."

"He's letting his head swell," Daiki muttered before he fully understood what he said. When Yoko giggled, he mumbled, "Shut up."

Leaping over the water, Dobermon locked his gaze onto the crystal. He landed and crouched, building up energy inside his mouth. When he opened his maw, the energy shot out, slicing through the crystal. It shattered, the pieces turning into data before they hit the ground. Head held high, Dobermon rejoined his friends with a smug look.

"All done," he said.

"Let's go before his ego gets any bigger," Shizuka suggested.

"Hey!"

As they began to walk, Kyubimon grunted. "How is it that at least one of us receives an injury?"

Mikami laughed.

* * *

Impmon and Renamon. I ship it! HA. Messing around aside, hope this chapter was enjoyable. Don't forget to review!


	14. 13 - Hurry!

Yoko: Hey everyone, look, another update! *happily jumps up and down*  
Impmon: Yoko please stop you're too out of control I can't handle this innocent bright cheerfulness

Enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review! And do tell me if you see any mistakes...I tend to miss a lot, haha.

* * *

It was ridiculously cold. That was the first thought that ran through Yoko's mind when they had finally made it to the Ice Zone. The change of temperature between the icy area and the Mountain Zone was unexpected, surprising, and made no sense. At least, it didn't make any sense to her. Tadashi probably knew more about that kind of thing than she did, but she was pretty sure there shouldn't had been a drastic drop in temperature. It wasn't like they had gone really far north, and the elevation wasn't much different. Having been the only one who decided to wear a skirt to school on the last day, she was freezing cold. It didn't help that she had a tank top on and a jacket that literally did nothing to protect her from the wind.

Wrapping one of her arms around herself, she shivered.

She wasn't the only one who was cold. Judai was shaking from the cold as well, since he was wearing shorts, despite the fact that he was on Dorugamon's back. Even Mikami was trying not to shiver from the freezing winds that whipped around them. Dobermon looked pretty cold, too, because his fur was short. Tadashi and Shizuka were sitting close to each other on Garurumon's back, Biyomon nestled on the girl's shoulder. The wolf wasn't bothered by it much. Kyubimon and Dorugamon didn't seem to be bothered by it too much, but that was probably because they were completely covered in fur. Of course, Leomon was ignoring the cold—he probably felt it, but he had probably trained to endure stuff like the cold. Gatomon was somehow clinging to the lion's shoulder, a happy look on her face.

Then there was Daiki.

She didn't know how he wasn't shivering, even though his upper arms were the only areas that were really exposed to the air. His gloves weren't thick and had been ripped, so they couldn't give him much protection.

_Sometimes I wonder if he's completely human_, she thought to herself with a smile.

The wind suddenly picked up. She let go of herself to wrap both arms around Daiki, pressing her cheek against his back.

"Cold?" He asked.

"A little bit," she answered, forcing her teeth not to chatter.

"You want to sit in front of me instead? Might be warmer."

The offer was tempting, but it wouldn't be a good idea to stop just so she could move to get up in front of Daiki. Then they'd be even colder. She simply snuggled closer.

"Do you have a nuclear radiator inside you or something?" She mumbled.

"Nuclear radiator?"

"Your fault for being so warm."

"Is that all I am to you? A heater?" He joked.

"It's not like you're my adopted big brother or anything," she said.

"I thought I was your bodyguard."

"That too."

"Glad to know," he told her, smirking since he knew she couldn't see it.

She was rather cold, though, and he could feel it through his clothes. He could just imagine how the others were faring. Maybe Leomon knew a place where everyone could warm up? They had walked quite a distance anyway, so they were overdue for a rest. He leaned over just enough to whisper in Kyubimon's ear. Luckily the wind carried his words away from Yoko. The fox slightly sped up her trot, reaching Leomon. Gatomon noticed them first, waving at Yoko, who carefully waved back. The cat tapped Leomon, causing the lion to turn to look. Even though he knew Yoko wouldn't be happy with him, Daiki still had to get everyone rested and out of the cold.

"I think it's time we found someplace to rest," Daiki said.

The lion folded his arms with a thoughtful look. "The distance we have covered is acceptable…I agree. There should be an abandoned outpost nearby that can serve as a shelter."

"This isn't because of me, is it?" Yoko asked, frowning.

Daiki twisted around to look at her. "You and everyone else," he stated. "Can't have anyone getting sick or anything."

"That doesn't make me feel better," the redhead whined.

Shifting, he rubbed her head and grinned. "Sorry. I'm a bodyguard, not a counselor."

"A poor excuse is better than none," Kyubimon said pointedly.

Daiki gave the fox an offended expression as she eyed him out of the corner of her eye. A pleased look appeared on her face, and she looked forward. She turned when Leomon shifted directions, ignoring Daiki while he ranted. Behind him he could hear Yoko giggling, but she couldn't help herself. The sight was funny considering Daiki usually got along with his partner, but he did have a tendency of getting riled up over little things. Especially if those "things" included anything that might hurt his pride.

Dobermon reached Leomon, shivering. Mikami looked at the lion with a raised eyebrow. "What are we doing?"

"Looking for shelter."

The brunette deadpanned. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

She dragged her hand down her face. "We wasted a lot of time yesterday because of what happened. We really should go as far as we can."

"Within reason, of course. Risking everyone by exposing you and your friends to extreme conditions that could harm you is unreasonable."

"Not to mention almost everyone is freezing," Daiki stated. "And don't try to tell me you're not cold."

"You just love proving me wrong," Mikami muttered. "But you're right." She turned back to Leomon. "So, you know where we're going?"

"Of course," Leomon answered. "In fact, it should be far from here."

"I'll trust you on that."

The wind had picked up considerably by then, roughly blowing and causing snow to swirl around the group. It was probably a good thing that Daiki and Leomon had decided to find shelter since the snowstorm was getting worse. Everyone was relieved when Mikami told them what they were doing, even Shizuka. While Garurumon and Dorugamon weren't bothered too much by the cold, they were worried about their partners and friends, so they eagerly agreed with choice. The two Digimon even began to sped up to better match Leomon, Kyubimon, and Dobermon's pace.

While trudging through the snow wasn't an ideal way to find the outpost, it was their only option. After a fair moment of searching at the spot where Leomon remembered the building being, they finally found it hidden under a massive mound of snow. Since the entrance was a thick, solid metal door, it took Leomon and Dorugamon to pull it open.

The humans climbed off their partners to walk down the stairs, the Digimon close behind. Leomon tugged it closed, slamming the inner lock down with a nod of satisfaction. Daiki was the first to reach the bottom of the stairs and enter the room at the bottom. It was large enough for everyone to fit comfortably and spread out, which they did. A fireplace was situated at the center of the back wall, and Biyomon lit it, settling down in front of it. Two tables were pushed together in the far left corner with various things spread across them. Noticing the cluttered tables, Daiki strolled over.

He looked at the supplies and items with a contemplative look. As his eyes scanned everything, he noticed a folder and picked it up. He flipped it open, looking at the papers inside.

_These are recent,_ he thought, looking at the report. _This is talking about the rescue mission we staged, to get everyone out of the fortress…_

"Leomon," he said, turning. The lion looked up at him. "When was the last time someone was here?"

Leomon blinked. "Months ago. Why do you ask?"

Daiki held up the folder. "Because someone was here recently, and they left in a hurry."

Surprised, the lion walked up to him. Daiki handed the folder over so Leomon could examine it.

"You are right. These cannot be older than a few days, if that. Hmm, it appears that is some information about the Dark Crystals…"

Mikami, Tadashi, and Shizuka joined them. Leomon passed the folder to Tadashi, who waved towards the table with a nod to his sister. She shoved various things aside until there was enough room. Placing the folder down, Tadashi pulled out the papers and spread them out, reading through them quickly. He began to read the last page and suddenly stopped. A confused look appeared on his face as he looked between the last two pages, squinting while he read.

"That's…strange. There's a page missing."

"Really?" Mikami leaned over, shifting to stand at his side.

"Yeah. Here, look." He pointed to the end of the second to last page. "It mentions something about destroying the Dark Crystals, but it's ripped. This page skips to an entirely different subject, which mentions a plan to build a base in one of the other zones."

"So the page might still be in here," the brunette said, "or they could have gotten rid of it."

"Or taken it with them," Daiki added.

"But why only one page?" Tadashi grumbled. "What made them leave behind almost everything else?"

Silence fell over them as Tadashi thought over possible reasons. Maybe urgent business had come up, or they had received orders. But the way everyone is strewn about, with only a single page missing...What if the cause of their abandoning the building was that something had frightened them? And if so, what could have possibility scared them enough to make them leave with only a long enough pause to grab the lone page? It had to be something terrifying. Otherwise, he didn't see anyone leaving in such a hurry.

A rumble cut him off as he opened his mouth to speak, following by everything around them shaking.

"Everyone out, now!" Leomon shouted, bounding up the steps.

"But we just got in here!" Yoko complained, scrambling to her feet.

The door was flung open once Leomon unlocked it, and he shoved his back against it to keep it open. Daiki grabbed Yoko, dragging her up onto Kyubimon. The twins climbed onto Garurumon, Biyomon perching on Shizuka's shoulders, and Judai ushered Gatomon onto Dorugamon before getting up himself. After she made sure everyone was ready, Mikami jumped onto Dobermon's back. The Digimon bounded up the steps, shooting out of the building. Leomon didn't bother to shut the door, running after the group once they were out.

Unable to help themselves, everyone turned to look back. As they watched, the building disappeared, swallowed by a widening crevice. Unfortunately, the ground was continuing to crack, spreading out quickly in all directions, theirs included. At the rate they were going, they wouldn't outrun it, and Biyomon still didn't have the energy to Digivolve.

Beneath them, the ground began to break, cracks webbing through the ice. Pieces broke away, falling into the grey abyss below. Dobermon's hind paws dropped as the ice he was running on vanished, and he struggled to dig the claws of his front paws into the ice below the snow. Dorugamon swooped down, reaching down to grab the dog and Mikami, but Dobermon lost his grip and fell. The others did as well, Leomon included, and Dorugamon didn't hesitate to follow down after them. However, just as he reached Kyubimon, a piece of ice slammed against his head. Judai and Gatomon cried out as he lost consciousness, reverting to his Rookie level. Snow engulfed them.

X~X

Realizing she couldn't breathe, Yoko frantically lashed her arms out until she felt open air. Moving, she finally broke out of the snow pile and took in deep breaths. Somehow she had landed in a massive mound of snow that had been deep enough to break her fall. Glancing around, she saw massive ice walls lumbering upwards around her. She jumped when she heard coughing, spinning around. Mikami had dug her way out of the snow, and Daiki's head popped out soon after. The brunette looked at Daiki before shoving her arms down and pulling Impmon up. Renamon, carrying Salamon, walked up to them. Leomon had Judai draped over one of his shoulders, and Gabumon and Dorumon under each arm. Shizuka was basically dragging her brother, and Biyomon was flying beside her.

"Everyone alright?" Mikami asked while laying Impmon onto the snow.

"Dorumon has yet to awaken," Leomon reported.

"A big piece of ice hit him in the head," Salamon said, shifting in Renamon's grip.

A groan from Judai prompted Leomon to kneel and lean, causing the boy to slowly slide down onto the ground. The boy blinked his eyes open before wiping his hands across his face.

"Am I dead?" He moaned, letting his arms drop.

"No," Tadashi sighed, pulling away from Shizuka. "Gabumon?"

"I'm okay," Gabumon said. "Just a bit shaken up."

"I do believe everyone is," Renamon stated as she handed Salamon to Yoko.

Face brightening, Yoko hugged Salamon and looked the small pup over. Salamon did the same to Yoko, making sure the redhead hadn't been seriously injured in the fall.

"Hey, big ears, wake up," Mikami grumbled.

She flicked Impmon's forehead, causing his eyes to shoot open. He swung his arms up to place his hands on his forehead while staring up at Mikami in partial confusion.

"The heck happened?" He grunted, standing and glaring at his partner. "We fell but—where are we?"

"Inside the Frigid Crevice, unfortunately," Leomon answered with a sigh. "It must have significantly widened since the last time I was here." He looked up and narrowed his eyes. "The top has, at the least. If I had to wager a guess, I would say we slid down."

"Huh?" Impmon followed the lion's gaze until he saw what Leomon was talking about. The walls were relatively close to them until a certain point. From there it widened, with the crevice widening and the walls sloping outwards and upwards. Leomon was right. They had probably hit that slope and slid the rest of the way. "Well, that's…weird."

"We should look for a way out," Renamon said.

"Do you know anything about the crevice?" Yoko inquired, looking up at Leomon.

The lion shook his head. "There is not much I know," he admitted. "Only that there _are_ paths within, some of which do lead to the surface. Where they are located is something that I do not know."

"Looks like we'll be wandering around then," Shizuka grumbled.

"Can we wait for about five hours?" Judai asked, hands covering his face.

"No, we can't," the girl stated, grabbing Judai by the arm. She hefted him up even though he protested. "Do you really want to be stuck down here?"

Letting out a soft breath, Judai shook his head. "No…"

"Then let's go," Mikami said while brushing snow off of her clothes. "The sooner we get out of here the better."

"Sure, wonderful leader of ours," Impmon grumbled, still rubbing where she had flicked him. "Who hits someone like that?"

"_You_ wouldn't wake up."

"_Whatever_!"

Deciding to take the lead, Mikami began walking towards the direction where ice was forming over the top of the crevice in the distance. Even if they had wanted to go the opposite direction, massive blocks of ice and what was left of the outpost blocked it. In fact, the group had been lucky to completely miss the broken building as things considered. Yoko glanced at the building and shuddered when she thought about the fact that she and her friends could have been inside when it fell.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone grabbed ahold of her shoulder, but when she looked she realized it was Judai.

"You okay?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, um, yeah. Are you? I mean, with Dorumon and all…"

"I didn't get hurt…and Dorumon is made of strong stuff. He'll be fine…right?"

She smiled widely at him. "Of course he will."

"Dorumon is much stronger than he appears," Salamon stated with a knowing look.

"Yeah, you're right."

They made it to the portion covered by ice. The strength of the wind seemed to dramatically lessen once the group walked farther in, so it wasn't as cold. Near the top ice spiked outwards from the walls, and Yoko was glad they hadn't been at the top of that spot when they fell in. That would have led to serious injuries. In an attempt to distract herself from the thought, she glanced around. Beside her, Judai fidgeted, looking from her to their friends and eventually to the ceiling-like ice above.

The farther they went, the more Yoko noted the holes and indentions in the ice. Most if not all of them ended a few feet in, though. Were there really paths? Then again, they were still exploring, so she needed to be patient. She just wanted to hurry so that they could get done and leave the Ice Zone. The cold was dampening her usually cheerful mood. She didn't like that fact at all. She had never done well in the cold and it was definitely showing.

Mikami abruptly turned, and Yoko perked up as they headed into a tunnel. If they were lucky, it would be the way out. That was what she hoped, because they really did need to get out of here. Not just because it was uncomfortable for her, but because they had Digimon to help and those crystals to destroy. They could go home once all this was over, though she did enjoy being with their new friends…

_This is conflicting,_ she thought with a pout.

"I thought I heard someone this way."

She really did jump at the unfamiliar voice, and so did a few of the others. Wheeling around, she found herself looking up at a tall, lean, white Digimon who looked like an inverted version of Devimon. Even Salamon was startled by the sight of the Digimon.

_Oh no please don't hurt me please don't hurt me—_

"IceDevimon?" Leomon said, somewhat surprised.

"Leomon," the white devil greeted, bowing his head. "My, it has been a long time."

The lion slipped past, gently pulling Yoko back once he reached her. "What are you doing here in the crevice, my friend?"

"I have taken residence here," IceDevimon answered. "I think the better question is as to why you and the DigiDestined are here."

"We fell in," Tadashi stated with a flat tone.

"More specifically, the ice under us cracked and then we fell in," Shizuka added.

IceDevimon shook his head slightly. "Then I am guessing you are trying to find your way out."

"Yes," Leomon said. "You would not happen to know—"

"Why should we trust you?" Mikami asked, cutting off the lion.

"I understand why you would be suspicious," IceDevimon replied. "I do greatly resemble one of the members of the Master's army. However, I can assure you that I am nothing like that…pitiful excuse for a Devimon." He said the last few words with annoyance in his voice.

_Pitiful excuse?_ Yoko thought to herself.

"At any rate, I am willing to help you," he continued. "Though night will fall soon."

"It's been that long already?" Impmon muttered. "Huh."

"I would like to offer you a place to stay for the night. After all, it is not wise to travel in this place at night. It is much colder when it is dark."

With a contemplative look on his face, Leomon glanced to Mikami. The brunette placed her hands on her hips as she huffed.

"…Alright, fine. We accept your offer."

Chuckling, IceDevimon walked past the group, motioning with his hand. Reluctant, Mikami trailed after him. Yoko stared at the demon's back, confused. Judai leaned over to look her in the face.

"Um…Yoko?"

"S-sorry, that was just a bit…startling."

Judai nodded. "That was kind of a shock, since he…well, you know."

"He appears to be on our side," Salamon pointed out. "Somewhat strange, though."

IceDevimon led them to his home, which was a series of "rooms" connected by tunnels. Surprisingly enough, most of the floors and walls were stone. When asked, he informed them that he did have the occasional visitor and that making his home a majority of stone was so that those visitors would feel at home. He directed them towards two different rooms with spare blankets and enough pillows for a majority of the group. Both rooms had small fireplaces in the corners and were directly connected with each other.

Everyone settled in quickly for a good night's rest, but Yoko couldn't sleep. She sat bundled in her blanket at the far corner of the room, holding it tightly in her hands. Salamon was curled up asleep beside her, everything but her head buried in her own blanket. Placing a hand on the pup's head, Yoko gently stroked her partner's fur. She didn't know why she couldn't sleep, because it was warm enough and everything was quiet. She guessed it was because she had a lot on her mind.

She was worried, not just about the current situation, but also because of Dorumon. She looked up at the purple furred Digimon. Maybe he would wake up in the morning. Sitting there fretting over him wouldn't help any.

She closed her eyes and leaned back.

0~0~0

A loud yawn startled her awake, and she locked her eyes onto Dorumon as he shifted to a sitting position. Judai, who was also awake, scrambled over to his partner with a wide grin. While he filled the Digimon in, Yoko and Salamon headed to the main room. IceDevimon and Leomon were talking with one another, the conversation slowly becoming heated. Making the decision to interrupt before the two began to argue, Yoko walked towards them with Salamon trotting beside her. The two Champions noticed the girls and quieted themselves.

"Sorry," she said as her gaze went to Leomon, "but I just wanted to tell you that Dorumon woke up."

"That is good."

"You guys sure are loud," Mikami stated as she walked into the room, rubbing her neck. "Anyways, we gonna leave soon?"

"Yes, we will once everyone is ready," Leomon told her.

Daiki walked out, followed by Shizuka and a stumbling Tadashi. Gabumon and Renamon did their best to help the half-asleep boy. Biyomon fluttered behind, and Impmon dragged himself after the group while muttering. Judai came dashing out of the other room with Dorumon running after him, laughing.

"Everyone seems to be awake," IceDevimon grunted, a flustered look still on his face. "We should be going now."

He marched out. Leomon frowned at the retreating form of the devil, standing still even though Mikami and the others were heading out as well. Yoko stopped beside the lion, watching Salamon hurry after to join friends.

"What were you and IceDevimon talking about?" She asked, looking up at him.

Shaking his head, Leomon muttered, "It was nothing."

0~0~0

It had been a long day, IceDevimon decided as he stepped into his home. After more or less escorting the DigiDestined to the exit, they had bid him farewell and left. Nothing exciting had happened, but he had dealt with far too many instances of clumsiness than he had assumed he would. Particularly the young redhead, who seemed to be a magnet for trouble. She had been distracted, not paying attention to her surrounding, causing her to trip and fall more than once.

He was about to go into his sleeping quarters when footsteps caught his attention. Turning, he found himself looking at an all too familiar samurai at his door.

"Musyamon, why are you here?"

The samurai gave IceDevimon a deadpan look. "To deliver a message. Might I ask as to why you are so…frazzled?"

"Assisting the DigiDestined, to be honest," IceDevimon muttered. "What is this message?"

"Harpymon is calling a meeting at the usual location. She was hoping you would attend."

"I will consider." IceDevimon folded his arms. "Before you go...it would be in your best interest to remember that you must be careful. If you continue the way you are currently operating, you will be discovered."

Musyamon harrumphed, turning and placing his hand on the side of the entryway. "Do not concern yourself with my doings, IceDevimon." With that said, he took his leave.

* * *

Sorry for this chapter being a bit more boring, but the action will pick soon. Also, major things coming up soon. Mwhaha...


	15. 14 - Keep On

Warning: Slight language. I would have updated a bit sooner, but I had a slight loss of inspiration. Hope everyone likes this chapter. Remember, leave a review and do tell if you see a mistake. Enjoy!

* * *

"I never imagined there would be so much…well…to _see_ out here," Judai commented.

He was right, too. After leaving the Frigid Crevice to come out on the opposite side, the view dramatically changed. Small mountains were scattered across the land, massive ice pillars rose into the sky, and rocks and boulders made for interesting sights. Random hills and slippery slopes caused trouble for the group though. Since they were _trying_ to be more discreet, they agreed not to ride on Birdramon's back. This was because they thought that they could better avoid their pursuers by taking routes that provided a lot of cover.

Before they had left, IceDevimon had mentioned seeing a crystal near the northern edge of the zone, which was where they were heading. They had been travelling for most of the day, so it wouldn't be long until they found it. At least, they collectively hoped that they would find it soon, considering how long they had been walking. Thankfully, if they didn't find it soon, they could spend more time out in the open because the temperature wasn't as low as the other side of the crevice. It was more tolerable.

"I still don't understand why _I_ can't Digivolve," Impmon complained.

"Because you're a big freaking black dog when you're Dobermon," Mikami said. "Get over it."

"_So?_"

"Your fur is too dark. Almost everything around us is white. You freaking stand out. _Get over it._"

"Jeez, what's got you in such a bad mood?"

"You've been complaining for the past half hour. I don't know, maybe that's the reason why."

He stared up at her with an incredulous look. After a few moments he looked away and folded his arms with a huff. Gabumon laughed, but quieted when Shizuka shot him a look. Tadashi glanced at her in exasperation, but he understood why. He himself had dealt with constant questioning despite answering. The brunette walking at the front of the group was definitely annoyed at her partner. Not that anyone could blame her, but Tadashi wished she wouldn't let the imp get to her.

"Alright, I'm sorry, okay?" Impmon grumbled, kicking a small ball of snow and ice. "I just _really_ want to get this over with."

"It would be unwise to rush ourselves in our endeavors," Leomon stated, "as pushing ourselves too far—"

The imp interrupted him. "Isn't a good idea. Yeah, yeah, I know."

Daiki looked somewhat annoyed as well. "I don't know about you, but I don't feel like being captured."

"Good point."

"Hmm. It only took you a few hours," Renamon commented, crossing her arms and placing her paw on her cheek.

She smirked at the expression on Impmon's face, which turned from one of disbelief to one of infuriation and partial surprise. The fox caught herself, quickly resuming her usual stoic expression. Despite the quickness, the damage was done. This was clear by the fact that the imp was pouting with his arms once again folded. Biyomon, not particularly enjoying listening to her friends act the way they were towards one another, flew ahead. She made sure to keep hidden, settling several feet ahead of the others on a rock shadowed by an ice column.

Raising her head, the bird did a sweep of the area. Something in the distance caught her eye, so she flew higher to perch on an edge jutting out of the ice pillar. It was hard to make out, but it almost looked to her like a settlement of some kind. Maybe some Digimon lived there that could help the group to find the crystal. Then again, it was more than likely that whoever was living there wouldn't want to risk helping the DigiDestined in fear of being sought after by the Master. That had happened far too many times for her to count…

Still, it _was_ worth a shot. They needed any help they could get.

"See anything?" Shizuka asked once they reached her.

"Maybe," Biyomon answered, drifting down to settle on her partner's shoulder. "It looks like a village or a small town."

"Then we should be on our way," Leomon said. "We may be able to gather information while assuring that the residents are safe."

The bird tilted her head. "So it is a town?"

"I have not been this far into the Ice Zone myself, but I would not doubt that there is a settlement here."

Snorting, Mikami strode past them. "Let's go."

Impmon threw up his hands. Daiki rubbed at the edge of his eyes while following her. Unsure of what to say, Yoko and Judai trailed after everyone while exchanging glances with each other. The walk was uncomfortably silent, as even Impmon had chosen to remain quiet. Yoko fidgeted along the way, finding the situation rather awkward. She was used to talking to her friends, not keeping to herself. This was especially the case with Mikami and Daiki—she talked to them more than anyone else she knew, besides her own parents.

The sun's movement was noticeable when they finally reached the village. Domed buildings were scattered about, some of which were rundown and falling apart. Others had damage that looked rather recent. The sight was disheartening, to say the least. Yoko subconsciously walked faster until she was beside Mikami, and looped her arm through the brunette's arm. Mikami glanced at her, but instead of snapping at her, she moved her hand to grip Yoko's hand in order to encourage her.

"It looks like this place was attacked," Tadashi said.

"Probably was," Biyomon replied, ruffling her feathers. "Just the thought…"

"Whoever did this better hope _I_ don't find them," Impmon growled, pounding his fist into his palm. "They'll regret the day they were born."

"Oh, you're frightening," Shizuka muttered under her breath.

While they made their way down the center of the small village, Leomon stopped. Dorumon noticed and turned to look at him, eventually causing the others to pause and twist around to see what was going on. The lion raised his head, sniffing at the air and wrinkling his nose. Eventually he turned, his gaze sweeping over the area with narrowed eyes. Confused, the humans glanced at each other before looking at their respective partners. The Digimon had learned during their time with Leomon that when he was acting in that way, it was usually best to wait and see rather than ask. He had his reasons.

The lion breathed out loudly.

"What is it?" Salamon asked.

"I am not sure. There is a strange smell, but I cannot say for sure what it is. It seems familiar..."

_Watching you sniff the air and that's all you can say,_ Impmon thought with a silent huff.

"Perhaps we should keep moving," Leomon said, an unfamiliar tone in his voice.

"But I thought we were going to ask around and check everything," Dorumon mumbled, confused.

The uneasy expression on the lion's face made Impmon rethink his original thought. He looked up at Renamon, who looked to be attempting to figure out what was wrong. She sniffed, trying to catch the scent Leomon was smelling. She shook her head, unsure.

Leomon's fur suddenly stood on end as his ears twitched.

He jumped, startling the group, and landed a few feet away just as a sword came down. The humans and their partners also moved, avoiding the sword in time. A shape dropped down, grabbing the sword and lunging at Leomon in a blur of grey. He pulled his sword out and blocked the attack, gritting his teeth. With a push he caused his attack to move, flip backing. The grey cloak the Digimon wore moved, revealing a winged Digimon the group thought they had seen the last of.

Darcmon shoved the cloak back behind her, pointing the sword at the lion.

"So, you are what I smelled," Leomon growled. "Have you returned to finish what you started?"

She raised her head, not giving him an immediate answer. Stomping caught the attention of the friends, and they glanced over to see several shapes moving towards them. The humans quickly pulled out their Digivices while the Digimon prepared themselves. Darcmon made to move towards them, but Leomon tackled her, slamming her into the ground. When he looked back up, the Digimon had Digivolved and were running to intercept the forces heading their way.

Pain erupted from his stomach as Darcmon kicked him. His back hit the ground, and Darcmon pushed herself to her feet, glaring.

"Why can't you understand?" She demanded. "By fighting back, you are only making things worse!"

"If that is all you have to say, then I have no words for you," he snarled, "except that you are helping to drive this world to ruin."

Running, Dobermon shot past the others and found himself hitting a big, fluffy white Digimon. He looked up at the Frigimon, but the bearlike snowman had barely moved. Instead, Frigimon reached down and wrapped his arms around Dobermon, lifting him up with ease. The dog kicked at the Frigimon, but his paws could barely reach up towards the white Digimon's arms. He prepared to shoot at his captor, but the Frigimon raised his arms, flipping Dobermon in the process, and soon enough the dog was upside down over the Frigimon and couldn't move to attack.

"H-hey! Let me go you ass!" Dobermon snapped.

Maybe he shouldn't have said that, because the Frigimon prepared to throw him. Garurumon suddenly darted forward, head-butting the Frigimon and successfully knocking him off balance. The grip on Dobermon was released, and the dog fell to the ground, grunting when he landed. Garurumon turned towards him, an apologetic look on his face.

Dobermon shook his head and grinned, running forward. He opened his mouth and left fireballs blast out of his mouth. The Frigimon had no time to dodge, so the fireballs hit their mark. With the smoke left from them obscuring the Digimon's view, Garurumon lunged, his own flames engulfing and destroying the Frigimon.

Another soon body slammed the wolf, though. Dobermon tackled the Frigimon off, pinning him to the ground. With a growl the dog dug his claws into the Frigimon and practically ripped him apart, watching the white Digimon shatter into Data.

Gatomon, meanwhile, jumped at a Hyogamon's. The blue, icy ogre reached up to grab her, but she dodged out of the way and lashed out with her claws. They raked down Hyogamon's face, causing him to cover his face while he shouted. Taking the opportunity, Gatomon jumped up and stabbed her claws into the Hyogamon's chest. She didn't get far when the Hyogamon threw her off and swung his club at her. Dorugamon dropped down in front of her without warning, grabbing the ice club and pulling it out of the ogre's grasp. Surprised, Hyogamon wasn't prepared for Dorugamon to shoot an iron ball at him. It hit the Hyogamon in the face, and both Dorugamon and Gatomon lunged forward, finishing the ogre off with their claws.

A Hyogamon swung his club at Kyubimon, but never fit, as Birdramon swooped down and grabbed the Digimon in her claws. As soon as she crushed it, a second ogre jumped onto her back. Squawking, she shook herself, trying to fling the Hyogamon off. Kyubimon jumped up, tackling him off. She landed, skidding to a stop, and lowered herself to the ground. While the ogre tried to get to his feet, Kyubimon leaped into the air. As she began to spin, blue flames surrounded her. A flaming dragon came out of the flames and charged at the Hyogamon, engulfing him.

As the others finished off the remaining troops, Gatomon focused her attention to where Leomon was. The lion blocked a strike from Darcmon, gritting his teeth. He shoved back, forcing her backwards with slow, steady steps. The winged Digimon caught him off-guard by swinging her scepter at him. It hit his side, causing him to stumble back. Just as she stabbed her sword forward, the weapon almost to its target, Gatomon rammed into Darcmon's side, clawing her and involuntarily hissing. Darcmon attempted to jab the small cat, but Leomon grabbed Gatomon, pulling her away.

"What are you doing?" Leomon asked, frowning.

Gatomon pouted. "Helping."

"You are all fools," Darcmon breathed out, holding her wounded side. "The more you interfere, the angrier the Master becomes. Soon she will send her best. Then you will have no hope of surviving."

Gatomon seemed at a loss for words, but Leomon set the cat down and glowered.

"What exactly are you suggesting?"

Instead of answering, Darcmon chuckled, leaning against the nearest building.

Leomon continued. "Are you implying that you are trying to help us? You betrayed us and continue to attack us, working for our enemy."

The humanoid stumbled backwards, moving away from the two. "Perhaps…you will realize…"

A gust of wind blew, sending up massive amounts of snow that blocked their vision. When it finally cleared, Darcmon was gone. Whether she had simply left or succumbed to her injuries, the two felines didn't know. Gatomon was just glad that the Digimon was gone, at least for now.

"We took a prisoner," Shizuka announced as everyone joined them. "He's agreed to show us where the crystal is."

"Mm," Leomon grunted, slowly tearing his gaze away from where Darcmon had been. "What will we do with him afterwards?"

"Haven't quite decided that yet," Mikami said. "He seemed pretty reluctant to fight in the first place."

"Wouldn't seem right to just kill someone who never wanted to fight," Judai added. "Maybe we should give him a chance."

Tadashi frowned, partially grasping his chin. "I don't know. Strategically speaking, it would not be wise—"

"How about you shove your 'strategically speaking' crap up your ass," Daiki replied, annoyed. "We're supposed to be helping whoever we can."

The younger teenager looked at Daiki with an offended look, but Daiki merely rolled his eyes and motioned to the north while turning to their captive.

"That way, right?"

"Y-yes," the Frigimon mumbled. "It isn't far from here."

"Lead the way," Mikami ordered as Dobermon prodded the Frigimon forward. "We don't have time to waste."

It did take them some time to reach the crystal. It was more or less hidden among ice pillars and mounds of snow. Dobermon seemed set on destroying it himself, just as he had the first crystal, but Leomon pulled the canine back before he could do anything. The lion strode forward with purpose, raising his fist. He stopped a few feet in front of the crystal, pulling his arm back. Energy flowed to his fist, circling around his hand in waves of orange and red. With a growl he punched forward, using his Fist of the Beast King attack to shatter the crystal. Dobermon kicked snow over the shards with a smug look.

"W-we really should be g-going soon," Frigimon stuttered, looking around.

"What's got you so worked up?" Dobermon asked, rolling his eyes.

"It's just…the c-captains were coming to meet with D-Darcmon."

"Captains?" Dorugamon said, tilting his head to the side.

Yoko looked up at Leomon. "Do you know?"

Shaking his head, Leomon folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. Meanwhile, Frigimon fidgeted, a worried expression on his face. When a low rumbling began, most of the Digimon raised their heads, startled. Before anyone could move, a roar echoed in the air. Ice shattered around them as a golden head appeared out of the water, along with a blue serpentine body. Mikami flailed her arms, barely grabbing hold of Yoko as the piece of ice they stood on was pushed away by a wave of water. Gatomon clung to her partner while Dobermon dug his claws in, snarling.

"Seadramon?!" Leomon hissed. "Then…that must mean…!"

Birdramon shot towards the sea dragon, but a blur slammed into her and sent her crashing into the water. Gaping, Shizuka barely noticed Garurumon dive into the water. Just as Dorugamon flew up to Seadramon, Garurumon pulled a thoroughly soaked Biyomon out of the water. He tossed the bird onto the ice and dragged himself up, shaking slightly.

A growl came from Leomon's throat. "Airdramon!"

Seadramon smacked Dorugamon aside, causing him to land on the ice piece his partner, Daiki, and Kyubimon stood on. The purple Digimon attempted to stand, only to collapse and shrink until he was Dorumon again. Judai kneeled beside him, doing his best not to slide as it tilted.

"Are these the ones the Master ordered to be destroyed on sight?" Airdramon asked, hovering in the air while observing the DigiDestined.

"I do believe so, brother, but I wish to have some fun with them."

"So do I, brother. What do you suggest?"

"Watch."

With a flick of his tail, Seadramon hit the water and sent up a wave that pushed everyone farther away from each other. Grinning, Airdramon swooped down over their heads, too fast for any attacks to hit their mark. The twins were almost out of sight, shoved away by a large wave, and Mikami could barely see Judai and Daiki. Dobermon looked to Gatomon, motioning his head towards Airdramon. Nodding, she climbed up onto Dobermon's back and watched as Airdramon swung around to dive at them.

When he came down, Gatomon lunged, her claws digging in as she latched onto his face. The dragon shook, trying to knock the cat off. Dobermon followed their movements, energy building up in his mouth. Once Airdramon was at an angle where Gatomon wouldn't get hit, Dobermon released his Schwartz Strahl attack. The black beam tore through Airdramon's back, resulting in the dragon screaming in pain. Seadramon spun around just as Gatomon landed beside Dobermon and Airdramon plummeted, disappearing before he ever hit the water.

"Brother!" Seadramon roared. He spun around, glaring at Dobermon and Gatomon. "I will end you!"

He swam towards them faster than anticipated, sending up waves that crashed against their block of ice. Dobermon growled, preparing another attack. However, before he could actually attack, Leomon suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stabbed his sword into Seadramon's back. Roaring, Seadramon thrashed, with Leomon barely holding on.

"Leomon!" Gatomon shouted.

"You must escape!" The lion yelled, ducking as Seadramon flicked his tail at him.

The water continued to push them, and there was nothing they could do.

* * *

There you have it. I ended the chapter in a terrible way, haha. I'm sorry.


	16. 15 - Onslaught

Finally updating! Sorry for the long wait, but I've been having laptop problems, having to help with babysitting, and then getting sick, and the weather isn't helping that at all...Okay, enough rambling. Minor language warning. Enjoy!

* * *

Waves rocked the ice gently, causing its passengers to slide a few inches in whatever direction it happened to lean at. Two in particular weren't happy with the situation: Mikami and Impmon. The brunette sat with her arms folded, one hand holding onto a raised spike. The small purple imp was lounging against her, a sour look on his face. He loosely held onto her, so as not to slide off. Yoko and Salamon were curled up with each other, the redhead grasping a rock half buried in the ice.

Mikami had lost track of how long they'd been floating along. She was pretty sure it had at least been a day, which was ridiculous when thinking about the fact that it had been hours upon _hours_ since they had been separated from theirs. Hopefully Daiki, Judai, and the twins hadn't been out at sea for as long as they had been.

"When are we gonna hit land?" Impmon groaned, flinging his other arm around dramatically. "We've been on this thing for too damn long!"

"Trust me, I know," Mikami grumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. While she understood why he was so annoyed, she wished he wouldn't talk so loudly. The brunette had barely slept since everyone was split up and it was wearing on her. "Lower your voice."

"What are you—" He stopped when she massaged her temples and when he finally noticed the bags under her eyes. "Oh. Sorry, Mikami. You stayed up, didn't ya?"

She sighed. "Yeah. Just…keep it down, please."

"Sure thing. I'm up—why don't ya take a nap?"

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Go ahead. Keeping watch isn't that hard, ya know."

"_Mhmm._"

"Hey, I've been on the run for a heck of a long time, Mikami. I know what I'm doing, _thank_ _you_ very much."

She held up her hands, smirking while he semi-pouted. "Alright, alright. I trust you. Just wake me up if anything happens."

"Whatever. Now go to sleep."

He watched as she settled in a more comfortable position while wrapping her arm around the spike. It wasn't long before she closed her eyes and drifted off, soft snores coming from her. Impmon smirked, shifting to better lean against the brunette. While he would never openly admit it to her, she looked relatively cute—or, really, just _innocent_ for once instead of seeming like she would kill him—while she was sleeping. Any time when she wasn't going to strangle or punch him, actually.

Eyes trailing over to Yoko and Salamon, he grinned. Those two were definitely cute, especially with the way Yoko was curled around Salamon. It was like the small pup was a teddy bear or—

His train of thought was cut off by a rather loud snore from Mikami. He jumped at first before looking up at her with a soft laugh. All in all, it reminded him the earlier times, when he and the other Digimon were just starting out. Those were the good times. Things hadn't been quite as…complicated as they were now. Not that hanging around with the humans wasn't nice and all, but now they were in a bigger mess than ever.

Impmon couldn't wait until all this was over.

Because after they saved the world and restored peace or whatever, he was going to live a nice, quiet life. He had no doubt that he would be tired of adventuring. He was gonna find a place away from all the excitement and settle down. Maybe he would be a recluse. Not being in contact with anyone and doing whatever he wanted would be great.

Yeah, right. Impmon _not_ adventuring and being a hermit. He snorted.

Huffing, he looked into the distance, nearly falling asleep when something caught his eye through the slight fog. Moving away from Mikami a bit, but staying close enough to still hold onto her, he stared forward. There was a huge shadow rising up into the sky. The longer he looked at it, though, the more he realized that it was actually a mountain. Suddenly perking up, he glanced at the girls. Yoko and Salamon had been asleep for a while, but Mikami had fallen asleep only a little while ago. He guessed he could wake up the redhead and Salamon and let Mikami rest until they got there.

Or just let all three of them sleep. They were rather tuckered out.

Besides, they were drifting straight towards it, so it wasn't like they need to splash at the water to steer or anything. Once they got closer, he'd wake them up.

_Hope the others are this lucky,_ he thought. _Or a bit luckier._

Well, since he was waiting, he laid down and closed his eyes.

X~X

He must've dozed off, because when he blinked open his eyes, the mountain and the island it was on was closer to them than before. Stifling a yawn, Impmon sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was as good of a time as ever to wake them up, considering how close they were now. Shifting, he scooted closer to Mikami, aiming to tap her on the shoulder. He had learned from experience that there were very few places where anyone but Yoko and Daiki could touch when she was asleep. Touch any of the places that weren't the few safe spots and she'd shoot up like a rocket and try to hit you.

Then the ice violently shifted.

Impmon hadn't even seen the wave until it was too late. As soon as it hit, the entire thing moved, one side raising up until the purple imp was forced to cling to Mikami. The girl's eyes shot open as soon as it happened, and within moments Yoko and Salamon were awake. The sudden force of it caused Yoko's grip to falter, and while she held onto Salamon tightly, the two slid downwards. Mikami suddenly spun around, looping a leg around the icy spike and flinging herself. One hand wrapped around Impmon's, and the other reached out to grasp Yoko's arm before the redhead and her partner fell into the water.

Only moments afterwards they were shoved forward, wave after wave slamming into the ice. Soon enough they found themselves crashing onto a beach, still clinging to the ice.

"Holy shit," Impmon said.

"You guys okay?" Mikami asked, looking at Yoko and Salamon.

Yoko hesitantly nodded. "I-I think so."

The small pup nodded as well. With a sigh of relief, Mikami let them go and unwound her legs from around the spike. Impmon hopped off, landing on the sand while stretching his arms. Yoko and Salamon slid off, collapsing onto the sand once they did. Mikami, now on her feet, leaned over to look at the redhead and the pup. Once she double-checked the two for injuries, she looked Impmon over. Satisfied, she glanced around, hands on her hips.

"When did we get so close to an island?" She wondered. "Not that I'm complaining. Definitely a good thing."

"Eh, it was a while ago," Impmon replied, waving his hand.

Mikami grunted. "Hmm?"

"Eh, like I said, it was a while ago. Okay, well, we weren't close at the time, but we were drifting towards it. Must've been asleep for longer than I thought because we were pretty close to it when I woke up."

"Meh. At any rate, it was good timing. Wonder if there's any towns nearby."

"If this is Data Island," Salamon murmured, drawing their attention, "then there should be a small town. That is, if I'm remembering correctly."

"I guess we should look for it," Yoko suggested, standing up.

"Sounds like a plan," Mikami said as she walked away. "This island doesn't seem to be too big, so I don't think it matters which way we go."

Yoko happily skipped behind her, Salamon still in her arms.

"Hey! Who made _you_ leader?" Impmon complained, dashing after the brunette.

"_I_ did. Come on!"

The imp groaned loudly in protest, hands up in the air in a sign of frustration. Looking over her shoulder at him, Yoko giggled, throwing a small smile down at Salamon.

"_Ugh._"

"Hey, if we're gonna be stranded here, we might as well look on the bright side," Mikami said with a chuckle.

Impmon narrowed his eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with Mikami?"

"Now you're just being stupid."

"Hey!"

0~0

"I think I see a building."

Raising her head, Salamon looked up at her partner. The young girl was squinting, staring forward with her lips pressed together. Impmon raised his hand, holding it over his eyes as he peered into the distance. Mikami, who was a few feet in front of them, made a small noise of agreement. Excited, Yoko bounded forward, passing Mikami and disappearing behind one of the few trees. Letting out a slight huff, Mikami dashed after her, leaving Impmon to run to catch up to his partner.

When they cleared the small forest, the group found themselves standing at the edge of a large town. Digimon went from building to building and walked along the wooden pathways, barely paying attention to the four new arrivals. Impmon rubbed the back of his head with a quiet '_hmph_'. Mikami folded her arms, scanning the sight in front of them with mild surprise.

"It's really quiet," Yoko commented.

Salamon smiled. "Somewhat peaceful."

"Unnervin' if you ask me," Impmon grumbled.

"Well, let's not jump to conclusions until we know what's going on," Mikami told him, walking forward. "Remember the Village of Beginnings?"

"Alright."

"I have to agree there," Salamon said. "Things were peaceful there until those three Champions attacked."

Yoko, surprisingly enough, looked somewhat smug. "And if something does happen, we need to help."

"_Okay_. Yeesh."

"I guess we'll ask around first," Mikami mumbled, hand against her chin. "See if anybody knows anything…if there's been any signs of forces or anything, we'll have to stick around to take care of it and clean up the mess afterwards…"

"Does she always mutter to herself like this?" Impmon asked.

"You're her partner. Shouldn't you know?" Yoko teased, smiling. "She's not the only one, though. Tadashi does it a lot, and Daiki does every now and then. Usually when she's thinking about a lot of stuff."

"There's not much _to_ think about right now."

"I'm not sure about that," Salamon stated. "She's probably worried about everyone. Seems like every time we get separated, someone ends up getting hurt…"

"Ah—yeah, you're right," Impmon grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Just gotta get through this as quick as possible then."

"How is it that we get split up so often?" Yoko wondered, a curious look on her face.

"You three gonna hurry up?" Mikami shouted, already standing quite a distance away from them. "If you're gonna hang with each other, go ask around! We'll meet back up where we came in."

"Hey—!" Impmon cut himself off as the brunette headed off. "Whelp, I guess we're stuck together."

"Only thing to do is ask the townspeople," Salamon said. "Shall we?"

"Yeah…sure…"

They spent the next half hour or more running from building to building and dashing around the streets, asking any Digimon they came across questions that might help them determine if anything was wrong. However, anytime they approached one of the citizens, they would get sudden frightened expressions and the Digimon they were questioning would run off soon after. After what seemed like a hundred Digimon (Salamon insisted it was nowhere near that) the trio decided to head back to the meeting place.

They were on their way there when Mikami intercepted them.

"Found something," she told them. "You might want to hear everything for yourself though."

Yoko blinked. "Huh?"

"This island is under the Master's rule but—well, it's kinda weird."

"The usual kind of weird, or somethin' even weirder?" Impmon asked.

"Weirder."

"_Fabulous._"

"It could be worse," Salamon reminded him.

The brunette once again took the lead, heading to a rundown house on the very edge of the town. She stopped at the door, knocking on it.

"I'm back," she announced.

"Come in," a voice said.

She swung the door open, walking in. Impmon trudged in with a sigh, and Yoko closed the door once she was inside. The house appeared to only be a handful of rooms, and they stood in a large, furnished room. A Digimon who looked almost like some kind of wizard, complete with the tall hat, sat in a chair with his gaze turned towards them. Mikami ushered the group to the couch and forced them to sit, a smug look appearing on her face when Impmon muttered in annoyance.

"This is Wizardmon," the brunette stated, motioning to him.

"So, your Mikami's friends," Wizardmon said. "It is my pleasure. I assume she hasn't told you anything?"

"Nope," Impmon muttered, rolling his eyes.

Wizardmon nodded. "Life on this island was somewhat chaotic before one of the Master's followers came here. At first, things had improved. However, Ogremon began to force rules onto the citizens of the island. Soon it became something of a dictatorship. Any disturbance is dealt with extreme force and those found as instigators or participants are…_punished._ It's become miserable."

"Okay…so, that is weird," Impmon whispered under his breath. "Any idea why?"

"As far as Ogremon is concerned, Data Island is a vacation resort. Interrupting his '_peace of mind_' is punishable by imprisonment or worse…death."

"That's terrible!" Yoko exclaimed, eyes wide. "We have to do something."

"We will," Salamon said, glancing towards Mikami. The brunette nodded to her. "Does Ogremon live on the island?"

There was a soft sigh from the wizard. "Yes, he does. You might have seen the mansion on the mountainside."

"Ugh, you mean that over decorated, gaudy building?" Impmon groaned, sticking his tongue out.

"Unfortunately. What exactly do you plan on doing?"

Mikami stood, stretching her arms over her head. When she lowered them, she smirked towards the curious Wizardmon. "That's easy. We're going to give Ogremon and his stupid followers a taste of their own medicine. Let's get going."

"Sounds good to me," Salamon stated, hopping out of Yoko's arms to trot to the door. "What he has done is unforgivable."

Impmon jumped off the couch with a wide grin. "Now _that_ sounds like my kind of fun!"

"Maybe we shouldn't just go charging in?" Yoko suggested, hurrying as the three made to walk out. "That's never really a good idea."

"If there's any other ways to the mansion, yeah, but from what I've seen there's only the one path up."

"I say we just charge in anyway. Fastest way. Besides, we can—"

"Wait just a moment, if you would," Wizardmon said.

Mikami paused, door half open, to look at him. He walked up to them, picking up the staff leaning against the wall at the same time. Realizing he was planning on coming along with them, she motioned everyone out, following Wizardmon out. She closed the door. The wizard looked at her expectantly, and she waved her hand up towards the mansion. With a nod, he walked ahead of them, heading to the far end of the town. A few Digimon sent glances towards the group as they made their way through town, but Wizardmon paid them no mind while Impmon glared.

They entered the forest surrounding the town, following a barely visible trail that wound through the trees. It was slow going thanks to the gradual thickening of the woods. When they finally came out, they were standing at the base of the mountain. After a bit more walking, Wizardmon headed up a wide path circling upwards along the mountainside. Said path lead right to the massive front doors of the mansion. Even from the distance they were at, they could see Digimon flying around the building, obviously working as guards.

"Is this such a good idea?" Yoko whispered.

"Most likely not," Wizardmon replied honestly. "It is, however, our only option. All cave routes leading to the rear of the mansion have been completely sealed. We will simply have to be smart in how we attack."

"Psh," Impmon grunted. "We don't need to be smart about it. We should just go for it!"

"Impmon," Salamon chastised. "Lower your voice. It wouldn't be good to alert them too soon."

"Hrmph."

"Just shush," Mikami grumbled. "I'm guessing there's more than just the flying guards."

Wizardmon nodded. "There are. I can deal with those in the air easily enough. You will have to dispatch those on foot."

"Done and done." She looked to Yoko. "Impmon and I go from the left, you and Salamon go from the right?"

The redhead shrugged. "I guess? You're pretty good at that stuff."

"Whatever you say."

"Sounds fun," Impmon grunted, grinning. "Time to bust some heads."

Pulling their Digivices out, Mikami and Yoko prepared. Impmon and Salamon ran forward, jumping into the air just as the light from the Digivices engulfed them. When the duo landed, they were in their respective Champion forms. The aerial guards took notice of them as everyone rushed up the path to the front of the mansion. A Digimon that looked like it was a cross between a pterodactyl and a jet plane dove down at them, but a blast of lightning from Wizardmon's staff stopped him before he ever came close. More followed suit.

"Pteramon. Champion level. Big surprise there…They can shoot out rockets, so be on the lookout," Mikami stated, glancing around at everyone.

"Just leave them to me," Wizardmon said.

The sound of thunderous footsteps caught their attention. Dobermon raised his head just as several massive, blue and white moose Digimon charged towards them. Behind them were bulls wearing capes.

"Moosemon and Bullmon," Yoko mumbled, reading her Digivice. "Be careful, you two. They look strong"

"We'll be fine," Gatomon said.

As the first moose reached her, Gatomon jumped up and slammed her hind paws into his head, sending him crashing to the ground. She pushed off, launching into the air just in time to avoid two more Moosemon. She flipped, grabbing onto the leftmost Moosemon's antlers. Her foot lashed out as she used the antlers to spin around, catching the third one in the face. It collapsed onto the first. The one she had a hold of thrashed, flinging his head back and forth in an attempt to shake her off. She waited until he flung his head full force to the left, letting go just as he did. Gatomon was sent sailing through the air, using the momentum to slam her fist into a Bullmon and knocking the horned Digimon over.

Dobermon, meanwhile, rushed at a trio of Bullmon. The three were mildly surprised by the tactic, leaving Dobermon an opportunity to shoot several fireballs at them. While two of the Bullmon dashed away, the middle one received the onslaught of fireballs, stunning him. Dobermon slid past, slashing at the bull's side with his claws. The other two circled around, charging at him from either side upon watching their comrade burst into data. Grinning wildly, the dog leaped into the air, causing the two to ram their heads together. Dazed, the two stumbled. Dobermon turned, shooting a black beam through each of them.

Each time a Pteramon came too close to the battling Digimon or the two humans, Wizardmon would blast them with lightning. Eventually the flying Digimon began to thin out, along with those on the ground. After several minutes, Gatomon and Dobermon finished off the last of the enemies, allowing the group to head for the mansion entrance.

"Any of them on the inside?" Mikami asked, stopping in front of the door.

Wizardmon shook his head. "As far as I am aware, his guards are kept outside and the only Digimon inside are his servants."

"Servants?" Yoko breathed out. "That's terrible."

The wizard nodded as he opened the door. "Be on your guard nonetheless."

When they entered, Yoko momentarily paused, staring at the massive room they stood in. Mikami pulled her forward towards the staircase on the far side of the room, snapping her out of her thoughts. Wizardmon led them up the stairs and into a long corridor. Dobermon sniffed the air occasionally while Gatomon glanced behind them. Mikami folded her arms, narrowing her in eyes in suspicion.

"I'm surprised Ogremon hasn't come running to see what's going on," the brunette said, "considering all the noise we caused outside."

"The walls are soundproof, from what I've heard," Wizardmon replied. "Besides that, he wouldn't personally deal with intruders unless it was absolutely necessary."

"Typical conceited ass," Dobermon stated. "So, where is he?"

"Judging from what some of his servants say, I would guess he spends his time in his little 'throne room' that he had built."

Gatomon made a noise of disgust. "He truly is vain."

Snorting, Mikami smirked. "That's why we're gonna knock him down a few notches."

They walked on for a while longer until they finally reached the door leading to the room. Before Wizardmon could open them, Dobermon blasted it open and stomped into the room. A surprised, startled yell followed seconds after, sounding rather high pitched coming from the Digimon sitting in the only chair in the room. As the green Digimon's eyes landed on the group, his expression turned from fright to rage.

"What is the meaning of this? How dare you—Wizardmon!" Ogremon cried out, standing. "Disrupting my soldiers from doing their jobs and attacking them?!"

"I am tired of living under your dictatorship," Wizardmon said, stepping forward. "And so is the rest of the island. From this day forward, we are free of you _and_ the Master!"

"What makes you think _you_ can declare _independence_ from the Master?"

Dobermon by her side, Mikami walked past Wizardmon and pointed at Ogremon. "Because _we're_ here to put an end to you! We're the DigiDestined, and we're not going to put up with someone like you!"

Ogremon's eye twitched in irritation. "You're certainly arrogant. You have no idea who you're talking to!"

"We do know," Gatomon replied. "What are you besides a dictator who has no concern for those living on this island?"

"No concern…! Urgh, you little brat. If I didn't care, everyone on this pitiful excuse of an island would be dead!"

Growling, Dobermon shot a fireball at Ogremon. The green Digimon jumped, moving to the side in time to avoid the flame. It hit the wooden throne and ignited it, causing Ogremon to hop off it with a yelp. Spinning around, he glared at Dobermon, who was chuckling at the sight of the panicking ogre. Grabbing the club that was laying on the ground, Ogremon stepped down away from the seat with an enraged look.

"That's it," he growled. "I'm not going to stand by and let you ruin my home _and_ my image!"

He charged Dobermon, raising the club over his head. When Ogremon swung, Dobermon dodged to the side, sliding to a stop. The club hit the floor and cracked it, leaving a large broken spot. The dog blinked, silently glad that he had avoided the attack. Ogremon pulled the weapon out, turning to Dobermon again. Swinging, Ogremon aimed for the dog, leaving Dobermon to jump from side to side to avoid the club.

"A little help!" Dobermon shouted.

Gatomon ran forward, jumping up and flipping around once she reached Ogremon. Her foot connected sharply with the side of Ogremon's head, causing the ogre to stumble backwards. He recovered quickly, bringing his club around to slam it against Gatomon's side. The cat was sent flying through the air from the attack. Wizardmon acted quickly, running forward and catching her just before she hit the wall. Gatomon looked up, grateful, and Wizardmon gently placed her on the floor.

"You must be wary," Wizardmon warned. "Ogremon is far stronger than he appears."

"We've handled every enemy we've come across so far," Mikami said. "We can handle him."

"Overconfident brats," Ogremon growled.

Dobermon lunged, ducking under another swing and digging his teeth into Ogremon's leg. Gatomon dashed forward, grabbing the club from the ogre's hand and smacking him in the head. Dazed, Ogremon lost his balance, allowing Dobermon tug and pull with enough force to throw him to the side. Lightning arched out of Wizardmon's staff, shocking Ogremon before the wizard's staff glowed. He swung the staff up, sending the ogre upwards into the air. Ogremon flailed, a frightened look on his face.

"You—you won't get away with this!"

"Gatomon!" Yoko shouted.

The cat nodded, leaping into the air. She passed Ogremon, twisting around mid-air. Her feet touched one of the pillars, and she pushed off, raising a fist. With a punch to Ogremon's stomach, she sent him shooting towards the floor. Dobermon dashed over, stopping once he was underneath Ogremon, and built up energy in his mouth.

"Schwartz Strahl!" The dog howled, shooting the black beam from his mouth.

The beam tore straight through Ogremon, drawing a scream of pain and denial before he burst into data. Grinning, Dobermon gave Wizardmon a smug look, and then turned to glance at his partner. The group gathered near the throne, where bits of crystal could be see behind the charred wood. Dobermon tore the wood away, leaving Gatomon to hop forward and shatter the crystal with a punch.

"That takes care of that."

The sound of clapping echoed in the room.

"Well, well, well. I have to thank you for getting rid of Ogremon. He was always a pain in my ass."

Spinning around, the group watched as two familiar figures walked into the room. Glowering, Mikami stepped down from the throne and didn't stop until she was standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips. Leaning against the doorway, Angela stared at her with a smirk. Devimon towered behind her, arms folded. Dobermon jogged up his partner, followed by Yoko and Gatomon. Wizardmon joined them, frowning.

"What are you doing here?" Mikami asked.

"My job," Angela answered. "You didn't think I was finished with you, did you? Far from it. I still have my orders and I _will_ make sure you don't go any farther."

"We beat you last time," Mikami grunted. "What makes you think Dobermon and I can't beat you again?"

"I've been watching your every move, Mikami, ever since you and your little friends made it into town."

"Why didn't you stop us from destroying the crystal?" Dobermon questioned.

The blonde chuckled, shrugging. "Not my problem. My mission is to kill the DigiDestined. That's what I plan on doing. And you're first, Mikami."

"You're trying awfully hard," Mikami said, "to act tough right now."

Angela's smug look faltered. Moving around to stand in front of her, Devimon glared.

"As frustrating as she may be," Devimon said, "I'm not going to let you insult her."

There was a brief look of surprise on Angela's face, though she quickly masked it with a grin. "Sorry, hon, but some of us don't need to _act_ tough."

Mikami closed her eyes and chuckled. "Sure. Whatever you say."

Glowering, the blonde narrowed her eyes at Mikami. "What game are you playing at?"

"I just think the way you're acting is funny."

Growling, Angela gripped her fist. "Devimon!"

The devil moved forward, rolling his shoulders. Mikami tilted her head towards him, prompting Dobermon to trot past her and face Devimon. Yoko fidgeted, wanting Gatomon to join the battle. Wizardmon placed a hand on the redhead's arm, seeing her worried expression.

"Mikami," Yoko said.

"Don't worry Yoko," the brunette replied. "You guys just get out of here. We'll handle this and meet up with you in town."

Yoko exchanged glances with Gatomon and Wizardmon, and the trio nodded to each other. As they dashed for the door, Devimon turned to stop them, but Angela shook her head. Yoko turned around long enough to look at Mikami, but hurried after Wizardmon and Gatomon. Devimon gave his partner a strange look, only for her to give him a stern look in return and focus her attention on Mikami.

"Hope you're ready," Angela hissed.

"Whenever you are."

0~0~0

It only took the trio a few minutes to get through the mansion and arrive outside. Almost as soon as she burst out of the door, Yoko stopped, eyes locking onto the town. Her mouth dropped open. Gatomon skidded to halt just past her, and Wizardmon paused, looking back at her. Noticing her gaze, he glanced towards the town. His eyes came to rest upon smoke that billowed upwards from buildings that were on fire. A sharp breath came Gatomon, who watched the dancing flames in disbelief.

"No..!" Wizard gasped. "Not now!"

"Angela and Devimon didn't come alone this time," Gatomon whispered.

Yoko's gaze hardened as she glanced around. "We have to go help them. Is there a faster way down?"

"No, not one that I know of."

The redhead bit her thumbnail. There had to be another way down. Glancing over the edge, she stared at the slope. It wasn't too steep, so maybe…

Well, she was going to risk it.

Without warning, she swung herself over the edge, her rear end immediately sliding down along the slope. Wizardmon and Gatomon's concerned voices rang out behind her, but she was undeterred. The sooner they got to the town and helped the Digimon, the better. Soon enough Gatomon and Wizardmon joined her, and the three slid down until the ground very roughly stopped their movement. Wincing, Yoko stood, gently rubbing her backside. That probably hadn't been the best idea, but it had gotten them down quickly, even if she was going to be sore for a while.

She took off again, running through the forest, Wizardmon at her side and Gatomon quickly overtaking her. It wasn't long before they made it out of the woods and into the town.

Of course, the reason the town was burning was a small group of Meramon shooting fire everywhere. The Digimon fleeing were attacked by strange humanoid Digimon wearing masks and wielding wooden swords. Yoko pulled out her Digivice, looking down at it.

"Yasyamon. They're Champions, too. Be on guard."

"I will deal with the Meramon," Wizardmon said. "Stop the Yasyamon!"

"On it," Gatomon replied. "Yoko, find someplace safe!"

The cat lunged, fist slamming into the side of a Yasyamon's head, sending him crashing to the ground. More surrounded her, and she jumped up, kicking one in the chest. She pushed off, using the momentum to kick the others and knock them off their feet. She landed and rushed towards where more of the masked Digimon were chasing after several smaller Digimon.

A little ways away, Wizardmon was blasting Meramon with magic, halting their efforts to light buildings on fire. Many of the town's citizens were bringing buckets of water from the nearby river to dump on the fires in order to put them out.

Making her way around the outside of the town, Yoko decided to help in getting the water. She wasn't just going to sit by while everyone else was doing the work.

She hoped Mikami was having a bit more luck than they were.

0~0~0

Head slamming into Devimon's chest, Dobermon sent the devil skidding backwards. With the tall Digimon still recovering, the dog dashed forward, jumping up at the last moment and kicking Devimon in the face with his hind feet. While Dobermon landed on his feet, Devimon fell onto his back. Grunting, Devimon flipped onto his stomach and struggled to push himself up to his knees. Instead of letting him, Dobermon leapt on top of him, pinning the devil down with a warning snarl.

"Stop tryin' to get back up," Dobermon barked.

Angela gripped the black Digivice tightly in her hand.

"I won't…surrender to the likes of you," Devimon replied, gritting his teeth.

Dobermon raised his head, locking his eyes with Mikami's. She shook her head, and he kicked Devimon towards Angela as soon as she did. The blonde kneeled beside her partner, helping him to sit up.

"How?" Angela growled. "How can you possibly be stronger? What the hell makes you so _special_?!"

"I don't know. I'm still not sure why I'm a DigiDestined," Mikami answered honestly. "But I do know that there's people I care about, and I need to protect them."

"Your point is?"

"My _point_ is that I won't let how I feel about everything that's ever happened to me get in the way of doing what I need to. What the Master is doing is wrong and you know that just as well as I do."

"_I_ don't care!"

"And I'll be damned if I let the Digimon who live here go through what I had to," Mikami muttered.

Raising her head, Angela glared at Mikami. "How is it that you can still care about people?"

The brunette looked to Dobermon, who was giving her a curious glance. "I found friends who care about me. I have a bit of faith now."

Sneering, Angela looked away from Mikami to focus her attention on Devimon. Mikami motioned to Dobermon and strode out of the room, the dog hurrying after her. Once they were gone, Devimon lowered his head, ashamed.

"What are you doing?" Angela demanded, watching him slump.

"I'm sorry, Angela. I've failed the Master _and_ you."

"Failed…me?" She muttered, confused. After a moment, she shook her head. "Shut up and raise your head!"

Startled, the devil glanced up at her.

"We're soldiers. We never quit." With a huff, she stood and offered him her hand. "…And no matter how annoying you are, you're my partner."

A small smile appeared on his face. He grabbed her hand and stood, looking down at her. "Never would have thought to hear you of all people say that."

"Here I thought we were having a moment."

"We were having a moment. I felt the need to ruin it." He smirked. "Besides, since when do you enjoy 'moments'?"

"Go to hell. Come on, let's go while you're acting like yourself."

x-x

"Y'know, in all the time we've traveled together, I have _never_ heard ya talk like that," Dobermon commented.

The two were walking down the stairs, walking at somewhat of a leisurely pace. Mikami looked down at Dobermon, eyebrows slightly furrowing.

"If you tell anyone about that I swear I'll punch you in your sleep," she hissed.

"Yeesh! You're nice to her, but an ass to me!" He grumbled.

"I can't help it."

"Yeah, sure. Speakin' of her, how do ya know her exactly?"

"We used to be friends, okay? …Close friends."

"So, basically, you were best friends," he concluded. "What happened to make her hate ya?"

"Do we have to talk about this right now?" Mikami asked, annoyed. "We have to go meet up with Yoko and Gatomon."

"I'll let it pass for now, but I want an explanation later!"

"Fair enough."

They were almost to the door when Dobermon sniffed and promptly wrinkled his nose. "Smell that?"

"What?" She asked, taking a deep breath through her nose. It took her a moment to realize what it was. "Is that…smoke?"

They exchanged glances before rushing out, eyes immediately locking onto the town. Dobermon grunted, motioning to his back, and Mikami swung herself up onto him with a nod. He looked down at the slope before hopping over the edge and sliding down. As they reached the bottom, he leaped off the slope, landing on the ground. Immediately he shot off, weaving through the trees. The two burst out of the trees, Dobermon barely skidding to a stop before he hit Wizardmon, who was overlooking the damage.

Yoko, standing nearby, took notice of them. "Hey! We got it handled," she said, dumping a bucket of water on a burning bush. "These houses are gonna be smoking for a while though."

Eye twitched, Mikami jumped off of Dobermon. "Jeez, I think I had a heart attack."

Yoko giggled as Gatomon cracked a grin at them.

"Everyone okay?" Dobermon asked, padding up to the redhead and Gatomon.

"Everything's fine," Gatomon reported. "We got here in time to keep any of the Digimon from getting too hurt and we cleaned up the invaders that came."

"That's good news," Mikami mumbled. "Well, our work here is done. Problem is, how are we going to get off this island and where are we gonna go?"

"I can have a boat prepared for you," Wizardmon said. "It would probably be wise to head for Toy Zone, northeast of this island."

Smiling, Mikami tapped Wizardmon's arm with her fist. "Thanks."

"No, thank you. Had you not arrived, Ogremon would still be here. Though the town has been damaged, it is better than watching more of my friends perish."

"Just doing our job."

* * *

Yeah, it tapered off there at the end. Sorry about that. Hopefully the next update will come a bit sooner...hopefully.


	17. 16 - Assault

Finally, a new chapter! Thought I would reply to one of the reviews for the first time, haha.

If anyone has any questions regarding the story, send them on in! And if there's a particular Digimon you want to see appear, tell me and I'll see if I can fit them in. Don't forget to leave a review and tell me if you spot any mistakes!

Mild language warning. Now onto the story!

* * *

A storm had rolled in during the last hour.

Shizuka openly cursed, not regretting it, and growled. It was just their luck that they'd be the ones who get hit by a storm while drifting across the ocean. The twins never had been lucky when it came to those kind of things. Maybe it was karma, or something like that, considering how often Tadashi put down people who weren't as smart as he was. And Shizuka, well, she wasn't the nicest person in the world either. Still, Biyomon and Gabumon shouldn't have to be going through this.

In fact, she wished Biyomon would just leave. She could fly away, find someplace to stay and keep herself safe.

Jeez, she was doing it again. Shizuka slid a hand down her face. She really needed to stop that.

They would get out of this situation one way or another. They _had_ to! Their friends were out there alone, facing troubles—well, who _knew_ what kind of problems they were going through? So far the group had dealt with bat-shit crazy things. She wouldn't be surprised if they were having to deal with more stupidity. Shizuka knew her brother and their partners definitely were.

She wished that there wasn't a storm at that moment. She wasn't sure if the storms were the same as on Earth, but it was annoying—

Thunder crashed.

Yeah, they were pretty much the same.

"How wonderful," Tadashi muttered.

"Fan-fricking-tastic, isn't it?"

The wind swirled around them, causing Biyomon to drop down and settle on Shizuka lap.

"I should have guessed that storms such as these were possible," the boy mumbled. "After all, we witnessed a blizzard…"

"Just drop it," Shizuka said. "You're not helping by lamenting your lack of foresight."

"What a surprise to hear you speaking with such fluency."

"Alright, shut up. You're being annoying."

"And thus does your moment of eloquence pass."

"You're being a bit overdramatic there. Besides, you never talk like that."

The twins glanced at each other and grinned. After all the bickering that had been going on between them, it was nice to finally be back in their usual routine all the way. They hadn't exactly been seeing eye-to-eye lately—not that they ever really did, but it had been worse than usual.

Gabumon, sitting closer to the edge, was staring into the distance with a disappointed look. "Still no land in sight."

"It would be nice to find land," Biyomon mumbled. "My feathers are wet."

"Don't like having your feathers ruffled?" Shizuka teased.

"You know how frustrating it is to fly when your feathers are wet? Of course not," Biyomon grumbled. She shook her wings, now in a huff because of her partner.

Gabumon blinked. "Wouldn't that dry your feathers out faster?"

"No."

Laughing, Shizuka grinned at the pink bird, earning a pout from Biyomon. Even Tadashi looked somewhat amused, though there was a dissatisfied expression on Gabumon's face, as the reptile was clearly finding no enjoyment in it. After a few moments, Biyomon sighed and smiled at the other Digimon. Shizuka reached over, fixing her partner's feathers with a small smirk as the bird mumbled under her breath.

"I'm not saying thank you."

"That's okay. I kinda deserve it."

Thunder boomed once again, followed by the wind picking up. Irritated, Shizuka glared up at the sky, silently wishing she could make the storm stop. Of all the times for one to happen, this was the worst possible moment. She wouldn't have cared as much had they been on land, but no, they were in the middle of the ocean with no place to go. If it hadn't been for Airdramon and that stupid Seadramon, this wouldn't have even happened in the first place. Her thoughts drifted to the others again. They had all ended up with someone else, but what about Leomon? Was the lion okay?

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the tidal wave until it was too late.

The water smacked against the ice and then swelled underneath it quickly, sending Shizuka, Tadashi, and Gabumon flying off. The three fell in the water as Biyomon panicked, trying to see them. Gabumon surfaced, shortly followed by Shizuka. The girl looked around, realizing she couldn't see her brother. Taking in a deep breath, she dived back into the water, searching. It was dark and hard to see, but as she caught a glimpse of what looked to be white, she swam forward. Her hand wrapped around his wrist, and she pulled him up with her, breaking the surface. Trying her best to hold him, she wrapped her arm around his chest

"Tadashi?" She said. "Oh, come on, not now! Wake up!"

Gabumon swam over to her, and Biyomon hovered over them.

"Is he okay?" Gabumon asked.

"Besides being unconscious," she grumbled.

"Oh, no," Biyomon moaned.

A strange sound caught their attention, but the waves were getting worse, so it didn't hold their focus for long.

"We're gonna be underwater if this keeps up," Shizuka said.

The noise returned, much closer, and at the same time a massive wave formed in front of them. Her eyes on the wave about to crash into them, Shizuka was caught off guard when a massive Digimon surfaced right beside them. With no time to think, the girl could only gape as it closed its mouth down on the four of them. She found herself hitting its large tongue and bouncing, still holding onto her brother. Gabumon landed beside her, and Biyomon flitted down to sit by the reptile.

"Hey!" Shizuka snapped. "What's the big idea, you overgrown fish?"

"I'm sorry," a voice boomed.

Wincing, Shizuka put her hands over her ears. "Take it down a notch!"

"Sorry," the Digimon repeated more quietly. "Unfortunately, this was the only way to get you out of the storm."

"Yeah, well, a bit of warning next time you _put us in your mouth_. So, who are you?"

"Whamon."

"Thanks for the assist, I guess," the girl muttered. She turned her attention to Tadashi and smacked his chest. "Come on, you wimp! Wake up already!"

When that didn't work, she leaned over him and used her entire weight to push her hands down on his chest as quickly as she could. The action resulted in a cough she barely avoided, and she watched as he flipped over onto his side to cough out water. Once he was done, he turned over to look at her, grimacing. Smiling, she helped him to sit up, only for him to be knocked down by Gabumon, who wrapped his arms around his partner in a hug. It took several moments to pry the reptile off the aching boy.

"Careful," Tadashi groaned. "My chest hurts."

"That's what happens when you black out in water," Shizuka stated matter-of-factly.

"Whatever. Where are we?"

"Inside Whamon's mouth," Biyomon said before going back to cleaning her feathers.

"We're in a giant Digimon's mouth?" Tadashi face turned to an expression of disgust. "Fabulous. Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to Web City," Whamon rumbled.

The humans blinked, glancing at each other before looking at their respective partners. The two Digimon merely shrugged, unable to offer any information. Rolling her eyes, Shizuka laid down, figuring it would be better to simply wait until they were there. Tadashi, thinking the same, flopped onto his back and closed his eyes. He probably needed it. He _had_ hit the water pretty hard, after all. Gabumon curled up beside him, laying as close as possible. Turning her head, Shizuka looked at Biyomon, who returned her glance for a moment before she looked at the two boys.

No point in wasting a good opportunity to rest.

0~0

"We're here."

Whamon's voice woke her up immediately. Hopping to her feet, Shizuka tapped Tadashi in the side with her foot. Mumbling, Tadashi blinked open his eyes and slowly got his feet, goading Gabumon up in the process. The whale stopped moving, opening his mouth. Biyomon flew out, and the others climbed their way out. Once they were out, Whamon closed his mouth, and Shizuka examined their immediate surroundings. The docks they were at led to a massive city. She placed one hand on her hip, squinting her eyes against the sun.

This place was bigger than File City, made of circular layers that were progressively smaller. At the top was a large building.

"Ikkakumon, the leader of the city, lives at the top of the city," Whamon rumbled. "You may wish to speak with him. Should you need my assistance, I will be in the underwater portion of the city."

Shizuka looked at him, nodding. "Thanks."

The whale submerged, disappearing under the waves. Folding her arms, Shizuka looked at her brother. "I guess we should go talk with Ikkakumon?"

"It would be the best course of action," he said. "Leaving without making sure that there's nothing that must been done would be a terrible idea."

"Alright, then."

Taking the lead, she walked up to the massive stairs that led upwards through the city. Heading up, she sighed. It was going to be a long walk. At least Tadashi would be getting more of the exercise he needed. Speaking of him, he was eyeing every building they passed with mild fascination. She had to admit, the architecture was…interesting, to say the last. Most of the buildings were either domes shaped or overall rounded—nothing they saw had edges. Now that she looked more closely, even the steps were rounded enough to lack an edge. What was up with this city?

They passed by dozens of Digimon just walking up the steps. The amount of citizens was amazing.

It felt like hours had passed when they finally reached the top. Tadashi let himself fall onto the ground, sitting while trying to catch his breath. Gabumon hovered over him, but Shizuka wasn't too concerned.

"Gonna be okay?" She asked, just to be nice.

"Give me a moment," he mumbled, waving his hand at her.

"That was a long walk. I'll give you that." She looked at the massive domed building. "We gonna just ask if everything is okay?"

"We may want to stay for at least a while, that way we can be sure."

"We can't waste too much time, though. There's still the whole 'needing to find our friends' thing."

"I know."

"Though, it's hard telling where they are." She sighed. "Why can't we ever stay together?"

"The world doesn't like us, apparently," Biyomon said.

Gabumon smiled to himself. "Maybe we should just tie all of us together with a rope."

That comment earned a grin from Shizuka, and Biyomon laughed. Tadashi's reaction was a mixture of annoyed and amused. Holding out her hand, Shizuka helped her brother to his feet. Once he was balanced, she walked up to the building. There was a suspicious lack of guards here for it being the home of the city leader. Unless, of course, Whamon had lied to them and this was some sort of elaborate trap…Wow, she was being really pessimistic. Stopping in front of the door, she knocked.

When they opened, a small white Digimon was standing there. He looked up at her.

"Yes?"

"We want to talk to Ikkakumon," Tadashi told the Gomamon, interrupting Shizuka.

She elbowed him in the side.

"Oh. Okay. Come right in."

They were mildly surprised.

"Really?" Gabumon asked.

"Uh-huh. Ikkakumon never turns down anyone, as long as they're not attacking us. 'Cause, well, you know."

Tadashi glanced at Shizuka, but she shrugged, not knowing what to say. So far things were looking pretty good, and she didn't want to jinx them. Biyomon, still sitting on her partner's shoulders, glanced at the girl curiously. Shizuka said nothing, focusing on following Gomamon through the massive rooms. She had a feeling this would go rather quickly, because they hadn't seen anything even remotely dangerous.

Gomamon led them to a large room with a massive circular table. At the far end of the room sat a massive white-furred Digimon who seemed to be a large version of their small guide. As they entered, he turned around to look at them.

"These four wanted to talk to you, Ikkakumon," Gomamon said.

"Alright. Now run along, you have work to do."

Nodding, the Digimon hurried out, leaving them standing there. Ikkakumon motioned them forward with his paw. Shizuka strode forward and took a seat in one of the chairs at the table, nonchalantly putting her feet up on the metal. The Digimon didn't seem to mind, so she didn't plan on moving. Once Tadashi and Gabumon took a seat, Biyomon landed by Shizuka's feet.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Shizuka. He's Tadashi. These are our partners, Biyomon and Gabumon." She pointed to each of them.

"A pleasure. You are the DigiDestined I have heard about, are you not?"

Gabumon looked somewhat surprised. "Oh, you've heard of us?"

"Indeed. I do try to stay updated when it comes to events happening on the continents." Setting down a stack of papers on the table, he glanced at the small group. "Though, I had heard there were more of you than simply two humans."

"There's four others humans that travel with us," Biyomon said. "We got separated when part of the Ice Zone was destroyed by Seadramon after we destroyed the Dark Crystal there."

"Yes, one of my messengers mentioned that when he returned earlier today. That begs the question as to how you arrived here in the city."

"For a while we just drifted on the piece of ice we were stuck on, then it got flipped over," Shizuka explained. "Whamon stumbled upon us and helped us out."

"Hmm…I wonder if he had another reason…," Ikkakumon grumbled under his breath. "Now, what is it you wanted to speak with me about?"

With a glance to Tadashi, Shizuka nodded. "You haven't had any problems with the Master's army, have you?"

"The occasional attack, but we have managed to fight them off." Ikkakumon made his way around the table. "Though are defenses are weaker now than they have been in some time."

"That doesn't sound good."

Turning to her brother, Shizuka raised an eyebrow. "Why? They've held out fine."

"Leave it to you not to understand. We've seen what our enemies are capable of. I wouldn't be surprised if those attacks weren't just mindless attacks. Remember the file we found in the Ice Zone base with the papers? They've most likely been collecting information. After all, they sent Darcmon and her soldiers after us. They had to have gathered information on us beforehand, even if it was scarce."

"And they're waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack Web City," Shizuka mumbled, finally understanding. "They probably know that the defenses are down. That's why they've been attacking."

A look of realization flitted across Ikkakumon's face.

"They purposefully weakened my forces," he whispered.

"No doubt that they'll attack when least expected," Tadashi stated.

"What am I to do? Even the underside of the city does not have enough of the guards left to hold back another attack. Should they attack today…"

He began to pace restlessly, walking around the perimeter of the room. Shizuka couldn't help but feel sorry for the Digimon. There was a chance that his city could be attacked and subsequently fall because he had failed to notice what they were aiming for in the first place. The question was whether the four of them could help to defend the city. Tadashi was brilliant, but could he come up with a plan that would work? Well, even if they couldn't protect the city, they had to try. They were the DigiDestined after all.

"Battle plan, now," Shizuka said, tapping her heel on the table in front of Tadashi.

The boy jumped at first before glaring at her. "How can I come up with a plan when I have no idea what I'm working with or against?"

"I can give you an approximate number of Web City guards who are still capable of fighting," Ikkakumon muttered. "As for the enemy, I am not sure. The size of their forces seem to measure near a hundred."

"How many do you have?" Tadashi asked.

"A little over half of that."

Massaging his temples, the blue-haired teenager let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, I think I can work with that. I'll need information about everyone you have left, and as much information as you have concerning the enemy forces. I'll figure out something."

"Consider it done. As for the portion of the Master's army that has been attacking us, they are led by a Digimon named Ranamon."

"Tell me what you know about her."

Tuning out the conversation going on, Shizuka focused her gaze out the round window, where she could see the ocean. Who would have thought that a city this big had been out in the middle of the ocean, so far out that no one could see it? It was amazing, if not a little mindboggling. And so many Digimon lived here. If this place fell to the Master, it would be a complete loss. They could never let that happen.

"Shizuka."

Blinking, she turned her head to look at her brother. "Huh?"

"You haven't heard a word of this, have you?" He asked, annoyed.

"You lost me when you started talking about Ranamon," she stated. "Besides, since when did I ever go by the plan?"

"That's the problem. This isn't one of those moments when you can run off and do what you want. The entire city is resting on our shoulders. If we screw this up, there's no fixing it. You realize that, don't you?"

Staring, Shizuka couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had been lectured by him before, but never about something so serious. Letting out a heavy breath, she ran her hand through her hair.

"Fine, you're right. Jeez."

"Good. Now, listen closely…"

0~0

"Hit them hard, and hit them fast. Focus on the stronger enemies to take out their muscle. The quicker we defeat them, the better off we are. Everyone clear on the plan?"

They were standing at the docks now. Every available Digimon the city had was there, and even some who had been injured had come to help. Once everyone nodded, Tadashi looked up. The shapes in the distance were closer in more quickly now. Only a few minutes before they reached the city.

"Get to your places!" Ikkakumon shouted.

Shizuka jumped onto Birdramon back, staring forward.

"Are you going to be okay?" Shizuka asked without looking at her brother.

"I have Garurumon here with me. As for you, be careful."

Grinning, the girl waved the comment off. "Don't worry about me."

Tadashi huffed, though he didn't say anything. Instead, he watched their enemies come closer. Once they reached a certain point, he motioned to Ikkakumon. He lunged into the water, moving to the front of the group. With a war cry he charged, leading the Digimon forward. A handful of others stayed behind. Seeing the signal, Birdramon took flight, shooting through the air past those below her. Shizuka briefly glanced down to look at them, and then glared at the two Digimon in the front.

Riding on a large turtle-like Digimon was a blue and sea-green humanoid. Judging from the description Ikkakumon had given them, she guessed that the smug Digimon was Ranamon. It was time to get to work.

"Ready, Birdramon?"

"When you are," the bird replied.

"Then let's do this."

With a squawk, Birdramon swooped down, streaking downwards. Her talons dug into a Manbomon, dragging him upwards with her. As she circled around, she crushed the fish. Once he shattered, she let loose a Meteor Wing attack, hitting several Coelamon and Octomon. They were stunned long enough for a group of Tylomon to attack them. Birdramon dropped down again, only for a Seahomon to jump out at her. Spinning around, she snapped her beak down onto the seahorse's neck.

Spotting a Dolphmon struggling in the grip of an Octomon, Birdramon dropped down, grabbing one tentacle in her claws. She ripped the tentacle off, causing the Octomon to drop the Dolphmon. Before she could try to finish him off, a Depthmon deleted him and ushered the injured Dolphmon away.

Birdramon kept bombarding the enemies for what seemed like an eternity. The plan was working, but it wouldn't be much help if they couldn't get to Ranamon. Her forces were determined to keep everyone away from her, leaving her to shout orders. They would be lost without her, but there were no openings to attack. Not only that, but the fight was steadily drawing closer to the docks. More than once already the defensive line in front of the city had almost been broken. A few had even slipped past, though they were taken care of by Garurumon. Still, they needed to get right of Ranamon if they wanted to really get anywhere.

That was it, Shizuka decided.

"We're breaking formation," she said.

"Is that a wise idea?" Birdramon asked.

"Ranamon needs to be our focus right now. They're following her commands."

"Yes, but Tadashi—"

"_Tadashi_ can get over it. Let's go."

"Whatever you say."

Wheeling around, Birdramon dived straight towards Ranamon. Pausing, she spread her wings.

"Meteor Wing!"

Meteors rained down, but they never hit their intended target. Ranamon leaped into the air, letting the attack hit the Archelomon instead. Raising a hand, the humanoid formed a massive water whip that lashed out towards the bird. Birdramon dodged several strikes before the water wrapped around her leg. With a swing of her arm, Ranamon sent her and Shizuka sailing through the air. Birdramon barely righted herself in time to avoid hitting the water, now only a few feet away from the docks.

"Shizuka, what are you doing?"

Glancing behind her, the girl glowered. "Shut up and focus!"

"Look out!" Garurumon barked.

Ranamon dropped down suddenly, appearing out of nowhere, and slammed the heel of her foot into Birdramon's head. The bird hit one of the docks and Shizuka found herself shooting off her partner's back, landing beside Garurumon. Groaning, she pushed herself up before Tadashi could reach her. By then Ranamon was poised to attack her downed partner. Eyes wide, Shizuka took off down the dock more quickly than she had ever run in her life.

"Leave my partner _alone!_" She roared.

Ranamon, surprised, didn't act in time to stop Shizuka from slamming into her. The force was enough to send both of them straight into the water. Shizuka immediately spun around, swimming upwards. When she broke the surface she reached up and pulled herself back onto the dock, staring at Birdramon. Luckily the bird didn't appear to be too injured, as she was slowly but surely getting back onto her feet. Before Shizuka herself could fully stand, though, she felt water around her ankle. She was briefly aware of shouting, and then found herself flung into the air. Of course the humanoid Digimon had gotten back up onto the far side of the dock when she wasn't looking!

"I'll teach you to lay your hand on me, you land rat!" Ranamon snapped.

The water wound its way around her body, trapping her. Gritting her teeth, Shizuka struggled against it. Moving her arm around, Ranamon swung Shizuka back and forth, laughing.

"Let's see how you like having the life squeezed out of you bit by bit!"

The coil of water tightened, causing the girl to cry out against her will. Grimacing, she glowered down at Ranamon with a quiet snarl. The noise earned a glare from Ranamon, who slammed her against the stone of the dock. With the wind knocked out of her, she could barely make a sound. Then she was back in the air, being crushed.

_This isn't how I imagined going out,_ she though bitterly. Was everyone too tied up to help or what?

"Shizuka!"

Her sight snapped downwards in time to see Garurumon ram his side into Ranamon, sending her skidding across the stone. The water around Shizuka dispersed, leaving her in a temporary free fall. For a moment she was sure she was going to land in the water. However, she landed face-first on something much warmer and definitely softer. Pushing herself up to a sitting position, she smiled when Birdramon glanced at her.

"Thank goodness," the bird sighed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm gonna be sore, but I'll be fine," Shizuka answered. "What took you guys so long?"

"Sorry, but we were tied up with a few other Digimon that broke through the line."

Shizuka simply winked at her. "That's alright. Let's teach her that you don't mess with the DigiDestined!"

Birdramon flew down, hovering a few feet above the dock. Tadashi was squinting again, watching Ranamon force herself to her feet.

"She may be able to use water to deal heavy damage, but she's physically weak. A few more hard hits should finish her off if we can avoid her water attacks," Tadashi stated, looking at Shizuka from the corner of his eye. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Bait and switch?"

"Exactly."

A grin spread across Shizuka. "On it."

Birdramon shot straight towards Ranamon. The humanoid swung her arm, but Birdramon dodged to the left and circled around, causing Ranamon to turn around. Her back was to Garurumon long enough for him to tackle her. He jumped away quickly, avoiding a water whip that Ranamon lashed out with. The wolf dropped to his stomach, watching the water scarcely miss his head by a few centimeters. As she prepared another attack, Birdramon let out a stream of fire that forced Ranamon to focus on blocking the flames with her water.

Back up, Garurumon lunged, biting down on her arm. Crying out, she attempted to blast him off, but he flung her farther down the dock. She landed on her back with a grunt. Birdramon swooped down, aiming to crush the humanoid under her talons, but Ranamon rolled out of the way and shot a torrent of water at the fiery bird.

"Up!" Shizuka yelled.

Birdramon shot upwards, barely avoiding being hit. Garurumon ran forward and jumped up into the air, preparing to land on Ranamon. Instead, she brought the water around and smacked him back.

Birdramon spread her wings, hovering right above the downed Digimon.

"Meteor Wing!"

Scrambling to her feet, Ranamon attempted to run out of the way, only to be hit. Wincing, she stumbled slightly. Now standing, Garurumon let flames build up in his mouth.

"Howling Blaster!"

The flames raced forward, leaving little time for her to defend herself. The water she brought forward did little good, evaporating within moments. Soon blue fire engulfed her, temporarily hiding her from view. When the smoke cleared, Ranamon fell to the ground to her knees with a gasp.

"This…isn't over…," she growled.

She shattered soon after falling onto her stomach.

Once Birdramon and Garurumon both absorbed half of their data, Tadashi let out the breath he had been secretly holding. Shizuka couldn't help but let out a loud cry of victory, raising both hands.

"Haha! Take that, ass!"

"Shizuka," Tadashi groaned, slamming his palm against his forehead.

"Hope all of you saw that!" Shizuka shouted at the opposing Digimon. "You're precious Ranamon is down and out!"

The shock that ran through their enemies left Ikkakumon enough time to regroup his forces. Shizuka and Birdramon joined them, staring down the invaders. They were more or less even now, so she had no doubt that they could handle all of the Digimon.

"Retreat!" Archelomon yelled.

As she watched them run away, Shizuka punched her fist into her other hand. They had won, and they hadn't lost many Digimon doing it either. Birdramon turned back around and landed on the dock. Almost as soon as Shizuka jumped down, she reverted back into Biyomon with an exhausted sigh.

"Tired?" Shizuka asked, scooping her up.

"More like stressed," the pink bird grumbled. "I think I nearly fainted when Ranamon caught you."

"Aww, you're adorable."

Garurumon reverted as well, landing on the ground with a quiet _'oof'_. Tadashi helped him up, and Shizuka strode up to her brother with a grin wide enough to seemingly split her face. Rolling his eyes once again, Tadashi did his best to ignore her reaction to winning the battle.

"So, what now?" She wondered.

"I would assume we're going to look for our friends."

"_Duh._ But where are we gonna look?"

They paused as Ikkakumon swam up to them with a small nod.

"I would suggest you go to the Toy Zone next. From what I have heard, there may be a Dark Crystal there. No doubt your friends are seeking to destroy the rest of them as well?"

The twins looked at each other.

"Then that's where we're going," Shizuka said.

"Very well. I will have Whamon take you there. And thank you, DigiDestined, for your help today."

"Part of the job description," Tadashi replied. He turned back to Shizuka. "Are you going to be fit enough to travel?"

There was that grin again. "I hurt like shit but that shouldn't stop us from hurrying the hell up, should it?"

* * *

Well, there's that. This chapter didn't turn out quite the way I wanted, but oh well. Hope you enjoyed it.


	18. 17 - One Problem Settled

Hey, look, another chapter! School is going to be starting soon for me, so I wanted to get another chapter out before it did start. This chapter doesn't focus on conflict like the other chapters did and instead focuses a bit more on the dynamic between Daiki and Judai. If that makes any sense, haha. Enjoy, and be sure to leave a review! Tell me if you see a mistake I missed.

* * *

This sucked more than the time he practically snapped his arm in half, and that was saying a lot because that had been the worse few weeks he had ever gone through in his entire life. Maybe he was being a bit overdramatic about it when saying that, but this couldn't get much worse that it was. They were alone, lost, and had no idea what to do. Really, how _could_ it get worse? Then again, things had been bad enough in the Ice Zone without the ice shattering and separating them from all of their friends.

At that particular moment, Daiki, Judai, Renamon, and Dorumon were hiking through a ridiculously dense jungle. After their iceberg more or less crashed into a small cliff side, they had found a spot low enough to climb up to reach the top. It had taken them quite a while to get all the way up, too, because it had still been rather tall. Since then they had been walking through the trees, hoping to find somewhere that provided at least a bit of protection until they could get their bearings.

That and Daiki couldn't keep trudging through the jungle for much longer, and neither could Judai and Dorumon.

It was hot and humid—the Digital World was a little too much like their world for Daiki's liking—and they had been walking for a couple of hours now, if not longer. Daiki was merely frustrated by the dense foliage that sometimes hid the dirt path they were walking on. Judai, on the other hand, was starting to get tired. And Dorumon was more or less in the same boat as his partner. Neither he nor Renamon could Digivolve at that moment, not quite having the energy for it, and Dorumon was still hurt from their confrontation with Airdramon and Seadramon. The sea serpent had hit him hard.

_Alright, just—deep breaths, Daiki, deep breaths…,_ he thought to himself, rubbing his eyes. _You're used to these kinds of situations. You've been through much worse than this. This jungle is nothing compared to everything else._

Someone touching his shoulder made him lower his hand and glance to the side. Renamon tilted her head forward.

"I'm going to go on ahead to see if I can find anything," she said.

"Aren't you worried about losing us?" Judai asked.

Renamon chuckled. "Don't worry, Judai. I will be sure to keep you all in sight and keep track of the sounds of your movements." As she prepared to take off, she glanced at him. "Besides, I can recognize all of your scents."

When she disappeared ahead of them, Judai looked up at Daiki. "Is she saying we smell bad?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Daiki muttered.

What he did know was that he wanted to get out of this jungle. He hoped they found something or someone to help point them in the right direction.

_Wait, what if one of the crystals is here? We'll have to search the jungle for it…_

He let out an audible groan that made Judai and Dorumon jump.

"Um…you okay…?" The blonde asked.

"Fine," Daiki quietly hissed. "Just. Fine."

_Don't let your temper get the best of you_.

"Are you sure? You don't exactly sound like you're fine."

"Maybe a bit mad," Dorumon added. "Impmon does that with his voice when he's mad, too."

_Deep breaths…_ By then the silver-haired male was clenching his hands into fists, trying and failing not to get angry with the blonde boy and the small Digimon.

"I can understand if you're mad, since the whole thing with Seadramon and—"

"Just drop it!" Daiki snarled, unintentionally flinging his hands up in his frustration as he stopped walking.

His sharp tone of voice made Dorumon jump, startled as he gaped with his eyes wide. Judai stopped and leaned to the side, surprised. He soon narrowed his eyes at the older teenager, clearly unhappy with the way Daiki had just yelled at them.

"This is exactly why I don't like talking to you," Judai exclaimed, folding his arms. "I try to be nice to you and you always act like a jerk. I don't know how the others put up with you. Sure, you're nice to Mikami and Yoko. But me, Tadashi, and Shizuka? Oh, forget it. We're basically the bane of your existence."

Lowering his hands to his sides slowly, Daiki stared down at the blonde. Had he just been…criticized by someone four years younger than him? The same kid who preferred to play video games instead of studying for school and going outside? The one who literally hated doing any work? He was downright speechless and couldn't think of anything to say. With a sidelong glance at eighteen year-old, Judai frowned, thinking the dumbfounded look was meant to be condescending. The disbelief in Daiki's eyes made him unfold his arms.

"Wow," Daiki finally said. "Who knew you could be mature?"

"Can you please—?"

"But…you're right."

It was the blonde's turn to be surprised.

"I do tend to act like an ass towards you and the twins, even though you hang around me." Daiki grinned. "Don't know why you do, but I guess I shouldn't complain. Sorry for yelling at you."

"Okay, are you sure you're the real Daiki?" Judai asked, pointing at older boy with skepticism.

Gently wrapping one arm around Judai's neck, Daiki pulled him close and ruffled his hair. Complaining loudly, Judai pushed away, shaking his head.

"Now I'm really wondering!" Judai said, though it was clear that he meant it as a joke rather than a serious statement.

"Oh, shut up," Daiki responded. "Sorry to you, too, Dorumon. Didn't mean to scare you."

The furred Digimon smiled. "It's okay. You're not as bad as Renamon when she's angry."

That earned a chuckle from Daiki before he frowned. "Speaking of her, where is she? She's been gone for a while."

Dorumon was about to reply when the fox materialized beside her partner, startling both Judai and Daiki. Without saying anything, she wrapped her paws around the two humans' arms and dragged them into the brush. Dorumon followed behind them quickly since he knew Renamon was in a rush, ducking down.

"Hey, what're you—?"

Daiki found himself cut off as she placed her paw against his mouth with a look that clearly warned him to be quiet. Knowing that the fox could snap him in half if she really wanted to, he promptly closed his mouth. Renamon removed her paw, glaring out towards the path they had been following. Within moments the trio could hear why she had forced them to hide: footsteps. And there were a lot of them.

"Huh, that's weird. I could've sworn this is where I heard those voices."

"Maybe your ears are broken."

"Watch it! I'll bite your head off."

"Shut up, you two!" A feminine voice snapped. "Everyone, fan out. Find whoever it is. I won't tolerate intruders in our jungle, especially if they're enemies."

"And if they're not?"

"Don't attack, obviously. Be careful, too. We don't know who it is, what they want, or what they can do."

"Yes ma'am!"

The footsteps spread out. From their hiding place, the four could hear the strange Digimon as they searched for them. Crouched in a position that would allow her to spring into action quickly if it was needed, Renamon listened carefully to the sounds around them, eyes closed. When the underbrush need them began to rustle because of one of the Digimon coming closer to them, the fox tensed. As it came closer, she shifted, placing one paw against the ground. Just as a snout appeared through the leaves, sniffing, she lunged.

Her paw slammed into the Digimon's nose, forcing it back. Renamon jumped to her feet as the red, wolf-like Digimon she hit stumbled back with a yelp.

"Renamon!" Daiki snapped, standing.

Judai gaped. "Why'd you do that?"

"Instinctual reaction," she stated.

The wolf snarled, preparing to attack her, when a massive red and white sword planted inside into the ground in front of him. Startled, he looked up at the Digimon standing above him.

"No, Fangmon."

The scantily clad humanoid turned her golden eyes towards the two humans and their partners with a raised eyebrow.

"Humans," she grunted with mild interest. "Never thought I would see the day."

By then even more Digimon had gathered, whispering to each other. Dorumon pressed close to Judai, staring around at all the Digimon that were there. The blonde kneeled to pick Dorumon up, holding the purpled furred Digimon in his arms despite the fact his partner was somewhat heavy. The humanoid approached them, swiping her green bangs from her sight with a wide smile.

"My name is Mervamon," she said, swinging her sword up onto her shoulder. "These Digimon are members of the Amazons, and I am their leader. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Daiki and Judai exchanged questioning glances, mouthing the word 'Amazons' to one another, before looking back at Mervamon. The oldest shifted and held out his hand, hoping she would know what the gesture meant. Grinning, she gripped his hand tightly, causing him to briefly wince. She let go, apparently pleased by it. Even Shizuka didn't have as tight of a grip as Mervamon. Hell if his hand wasn't hurting now because of it!

"Daiki," he said, pointing to himself. "Blondie is Judai. Your friend there already met Renamon. Lastly, he's Dorumon."

"Hmm. If you're here, then you must be DigiDestined," Mervamon grunted. "Not just any human gets to come to the Digital World."

"You say that, and yet Angela is here," Renamon said.

"Angela? Ah, you must mean that girl working for the Master." The look of distaste on the Digimon's face made Daiki smirk. "Yes, she's a strange case. The Master specifically targeted her and found a way to open a portal. Luckily that was a one-time thing, else we'd have our hands full. That girl was never meant to find her way to this world."

A thoughtful expression appeared on Renamon's face as she mulled over the statement. Judai, on the other hand, wanted them to get the conversation over with. Clearing his throat, he got both Daiki's and Mervamon's attention.

"Sorry and all, but you wouldn't happen to know a place where we can stay, do you?" He asked. "I'm tired, Dorumon's tired, and we're not gonna be doing much if we don't get a bit of rest."

Once again smiling, Mervamon walked forward and slapped the boy on the back while letting out a laugh. "Of course! Why didn't you say something sooner? We're basically finished with patrol anyways. Just follow us. Our home isn't too far from here."

With a single shout, the warrior had her forces gathered on the path. The four companions positioned themselves behind her as she made her way to the front of the troops, sword still on her shoulder. Soon they were on their way, walking along the dirt path. While the Amazon members chatted amongst themselves, the DigiDestined were quiet. Judai was still holding Dorumon, ignoring the small noises of protests the Digimon made. Renamon was still thinking about what Mervamon had said, and Daiki was in one of his silent moods. At any rate, no one complained. The atmosphere was more or less welcomed.

They came to a massive wall of bushes and thorns that completely blocked their path. Daiki was about to speak up when the center of the wall split and it pulled back to either side, allowing them access. The sight that had been hidden from their view was breathtaking. Beautiful wooden and stone homes were scattered throughout a massive area surrounded by the jungle trees. A few patches of trees grew within the town, with buildings of their own mostly hidden in the foliage of the trees.

Judai let out a soft, "Whoa."

"Welcome, my human friends, to Amazonia!" Mervamon announced, waving her hand towards the town.

Unfortunately, the name made Daiki snort. "Not an original name."

Judai began to crack up too. The duo quickly quieted when Mervamon shot them a warning glance as a sign that she wouldn't accept them insulting her home. A couple of apologies later, they were entering the town.

"You'll be staying in the guest quarters in my house," she told them. "I expect you to be on your best behavior while you're here."

"We will be sure to," Renamon said before Daiki could say anything.

"The Master's forces have attacked us occasionally. I do hope they don't disturb your rest."

"It wouldn't be too bad," Judai replied. "After all, we're in the Digital World to fight them."

Dorumon smiled. "Besides, we're all for helping."

With a slight chuckle, Mervamon herded them towards the tallest tree that stood in the center of the town. A staircase on the outside led up to the building within the treetop. She shouted orders at her troops, watching as they spread out to take up defensive positions just within the plant wall. With that done, she trotted up the steps, motioning to the DigiDestined to do the same. Luckily there was a handrail that had been made out of wood along the outside of the stairs, else Judai wouldn't have walked up. The tree was ridiculously tall, so when they reached the top, many of the Digimon looked more than half their original size. The steps connected to a fenced-in deck that led to the front door.

The inside of the house was just as impressive. Most everything was made out of wood, and the furniture was made so that it looked like it was crafted out of leaves. Mervamon pointed up the staircase, indicating that the rooms were on the second level of the house. She disappeared into one of the other rooms, leaving the four friends to head up. Once there, they chose the rooms they wanted.

As soon as Judai, still carrying Dorumon, walked into the room he had chosen, he sat the Digimon down onto the bed and fell face forward onto it. Dorumon looked a bit worried until Judai rolled over to rest on his back, arms and legs spread out as far as they could go without taking up Dorumon's space. Crawling over, Dorumon pressed himself against his partner's side.

For a while, the room was silent. Judai was close to drifting off to sleep when Dorumon caught his attention by speaking, bringing him back into awareness.

"You and Daiki fight a lot, don't you?"

Mumbling, Judai momentarily buried his face in the pillow. "When we actually talk."

"Why is that?"

Staring at his partner, Judai shrugged. "I'm not sure. He fights with Tadashi, too. Not so much with Shizuka, but that's understandable. Heck if I know, though."

"What about the others?" Dorumon asked. "You get along with them, don't you?"

"For the most part, yeah. We have the occasional argument, but that's about it. Nothing like the way me and Daiki are around each other." He stared up at the ceiling.

"But he said he was sorry."

"He'll just go back to it again once I get on his nerves. That's the way it always is."

Dorumon frowned, looking at the expression on Judai's face.

In the room opposite of them, Daiki was standing in front of the door, able to hear the duo. Renamon, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, opened her eyes long enough to glance up at her partner. Running a hand through his hand and thus further messing it up, Daiki slid over to the bed and sat down. Though she didn't bother to look at him, Renamon knew how he felt.

"You should go easy on him," Renamon murmured. "Unless you want to stress what little of a friendship you two currently have."

Leaning against the bedpost, Daiki remained silent.

"I understand that there are moments when it is necessary to be hard on a friend, but this is not one of them. With everyone spread thin, we need to be closer than ever, so that we can work together to do what we must."

With a heavy sigh, Daiki laid back and stuck the pillow over his face.

"So be it, then. I will leave you alone."

He felt his arm move before he ever really registered it, throwing the pillow against the wall with enough force to rattle the picture hanging from the hook nearby. Her ears twitched, but Renamon kept her eyes closed. Saying he was frustrated was an understatement. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was still angry. In fact, he was pissed. How could he not be? After everything that had happened, where had they ended up? Separated. Again! For the third time, no less! He had no idea where his other friends were. He was the oldest! He was supposed to protect them!

Before long he was gripping his hair in his hand. What if Yoko or Mikami had gotten hurt? Or even the twins?

"Stop," Renamon said. Naturally she felt the need to speak up again. "You're only making yourself feel worse."

"Shut up," Daiki growled, facing away from the fox.

"Letting your frustration get the better of you will distract you from being of any help."

"I don't need a lecture!" He snapped.

Pushing herself up, Renamon stood and walked to the other wall. She bent down and picked up the pillow with a huff. After placing it on the bed, she walked out of the room, shutting the door. Daiki stared at the door before looking at the pillow.

"Damn it."

x-x

"How are things looking?"

"To be honest, it's not looking so good. Our defenses won't last many more attacks. The wall is barely holding up as is. If they staged a full-on assault, we may not pull through."

"Figures," Mervamon grunted.

She stopped beside Stingmon, who was hunched over the table with his hands pressed against the wood. He was clearly worried, and so was she. Many Fresh, In-Training, and Rookie Digimon lived within the town. If their defenses fell, the citizens would be open to attack. Mervamon's forces were their only line of protection if the wall was broken. Drumming her fingers on the table, the swordswoman furrowed her eyebrows. There had to be something else they could do to make sure the Master's army didn't succeed in their endeavors.

"I hate to say this," Stingmon muttered, "but we might have to ask the DigiDestined for their help."

"The Amazons have never needed help before."

"We've never faced enemies like this in such numbers."

"Only as a last resort," Mervamon replied. "Unless it's clear we're going to lose, we won't ask them."

"Don't let your pride get in the way of protecting the townsfolk."

"I know, I know. It partially has to do with the fact that they don't look to be in fighting condition."

"True. Whatever happened to them before they arrived in the jungle must have been tough."

With a soft grunt of agreement, Mervamon leaned against the windowsill and looked out. They couldn't worry about what the kids and their partners had been through. It seemed cold, even to her, but it was the truth. They needed to focus on their own problems and work to protect everyone against their attackers.

"Have most of the focus be on supporting the weakest points in the wall," she said. "Everyone else needs to be prepared to provide back-up or to evacuate the towns-people."

"Of course. What about you?"

"I'll be preparing for my own fight."

"You're not going to go after _her_, are you?"

With a smirk, Mervamon looked over her shoulder at Stingmon. "Yes, I am. If I can take her out, we may stand a better chance against her forces."

"I know there's no way to convince you otherwise," Stingmon sighed, "so all I ask is that you be careful. She may only be a Champion, but she is rather strong."

Trailing back over to the table, Mervamon playfully leaned against Stingmon and jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "You know I will. You might be smart, but there's no way you could look out for the town."

"I object that comment." It was clear that he found it funny, though.

Mervamon stood straight, tapping the table. "Alright. If any of the sentries spot the enemy, we'll get everyone to their positions. Until then, let's take things easy. Have them on their guard."

She walked over to the door, placing a hand against the doorframe for a moment. She could hear a shout from upstairs, and she folded her arms. From where she stood, she could see Renamon as the fox trotted down the stairs. The golden furred Digimon glanced at Mervamon for a moment, and then proceeded to leave the house, silently closing the door behind her. Mervamon was curious as to what had caused the fox to leave, but she wasn't sure she wanted to ask. She just hoped they didn't do anything stupid.

"Well, I'll be back," Stingmon said, slipping past her. "I'm going to tell everyone about the plan. As soon as I'm done I'll come back in."

"No," Mervamon replied. "Feel free to take a break and relax. You've been working for quite a while."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm always sure."

Stingmon chuckled, amused, and exited. Breathing out heavily, Mervamon moved her bangs away from her face again. One thing at a time. Now that she thought about it, maybe she should go outside and sit on the deck.

_Beats staying in here,_ she thought to herself. _It'll give the kiddos a chance to rest, too._

She trailed out of the house, pushing the door closed as she walked onto the deck. Renamon was sitting in one of the chairs near the far corner, staring at the treetops. Mervamon grabbed one of the other chairs and dragged it over so she could sit nearby. The fox looked at the swordswoman from the corner of her eye.

"Seems like you and your friends are having your share of problems," Mervamon said.

"It is not unusual among us."

Mervamon raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

Renamon's nostrils flared. "Unfortunately."

Leaning back, Mervamon placed her arm on the back of the chair. "Is it going to be worked out?"

"Yes, in time. Hopefully before anything serious happens."

"Sometimes it can't be helped. You can't always get along with friends."

"If only Daiki wasn't so stubborn."

"I'm sure he'll realize how he's acting sooner or later. You might even have to nudge him just a bit."

Renamon grunted. "Hmm. That is a suggestion I just might take."

0~0

The moon had just risen when Daiki walked out onto the deck, having just woken up. He wasn't surprised to find Renamon there, staring at the torches throughout the town. Avoiding her gaze, he sat down and put his feet up on the table. Renamon didn't look at him, instead watching as the town guards patrolled the interior of the plant wall.

It _was_ a surprise when Renamon was the one to break the silence. "So?"

"What?"

"You know what."

He turned away. "I'm not apologizing."

"I guessed that you wouldn't, considering how frustrated you have been."

"Do you blame me?"

Finally tearing her eyes away from the Digimon below, Renamon looked at her partner. "No, I don't. But that doesn't mean that I do not hold you accountable for the way you have been acting today."

"Still on my case, huh?" Daiki muttered, turning to stare at the stairs.

"Driving a wedge between you and Judai will only create a rift in our group as a whole. I am sure you don't want that to happen."

"Do we really have to talk about this right now?" He asked, deciding not to reply directly to her.

"Yes, we do. Your reluctance is a problem that not only affects you but everyone else, especially when we must be willing to rely on one another."

"I get it now, thanks."

The skepticism was clear in her voice. "Do you truly understand? You must take responsibility for whatever consequences there may be."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." He paused. "To think we got along when we first met," he mumbled under his breath.

"I can hear you quite clearly."

Daiki was about to retort, raising his hand to point at his partner, when a shout interrupted him. Jumping up to his feet, he leaned over the railing to watch as Digimon rushed towards where the shout had come from. Behind him, Mervamon burst out of the door and jumped straight over the railing, landing on the ground. As she ran forward, she drew her sword. He lost sight of her behind the tree. Turning around, he looked at Renamon. The fox stood, walking over to the steps.

"Our conversation will have to wait."

Nodding, Daiki followed her down the stairs.

"What about Judai and Dorumon?"

"We don't need their help."

"Remember the fortress?"

Gritting his teeth, he growled, "This is different."

Renamon sighed, jumping down the remaining few steps. When he reached the bottom, he followed her to where Mervamon was yelling out orders. The two stopped in front of her, earning a glance from her.

"Stay out of this, DigiDestined."

"It is our fight just as much as it is yours," Renamon stated. "What is going on?"

"Enemy forces are heading our way from the north," Mervamon answered. "Hey! What are you doing? Get over there!" She shouted at a group of Togemon, pointing to a spot further down the wall "Anyways, Dokugumon is coming here with more troops than she's ever brought before."

"Dokugumon?" Daiki repeated.

"She's the leader of the Master's jungle troops," Mervamon grumbled. "If you really want to help, then stay inside the wall. If they break through the wall, we'll need to stop them quickly."

Renamon nodded. "Will do."

"Where are your friends, by the way?"

"Asleep. And it's going to stay that way," Daiki said, pulling out his Digivice. "Come on."

The device glowed as energy surrounded Renamon. Within moments Kyubimon stood there, pawing at the ground. However, her ears twitched and she raised her head, sniffing the air. Mervamon blinked, curious as to what the canine was smelling. Then her ears twitched, pointing upwards in alertness while her fur bristled in what Mervamon could only think of as alarm.

"What is it—?"

"Above us!"

The sound of buzzing wings was the only warning before a massive bug Digimon slammed into the ground. Kyubimon dodged out of the way in time to avoid being hit, landing beside Daiki. The Flymon turned to them, preparing to attack, but Kyubimon lunged and bit down on its neck. When the fox let go, Mervamon drove her sword through its middle. More swarmed downwards, attacking the unsuspecting guards.

"Shit," Daiki growled as Kyubimon ripped apart another Flymon. "Figures it'd be an ambush!"

The Amazons were scrambling to get themselves together. Mervamon glanced at Daiki and Kyubimon before rushing off, shouting orders to try and reorganize the surprised Digimon. Stingmon joined her, rallying many of the Amazons in order to combat the massive amount of Flymon.

"There's Digimon coming from under the wall!"

"What?! How?"

As Daiki turned to look, a hole appeared just within the wall, allowing a golden Digimon with drills to jump out. It attempted to attack a Sunflowmon, chasing it. Before Kyubimon could assist, a shape dropped down and tossed the Digmon off of the injured plant. Once he destroyed it, Dorugamon looked at Kyubimon. Judai, on his partner's back, glared at Daiki.

"Thanks for waking me up!" He shouted.

"Whatever!" Daiki replied. "Yell at me when we aren't being attacked!"

Biting back a complaint, Judai held on while Dorugamon spun around, slamming his tail into another Digimon. Above him, a large brown Digimon jumped over the wall. Mervamon jumped up, slicing it in half with ease. When three others climbed up onto the wall, Stingmon flew towards them, kicking one in the face and punching the second. The third one grabbed him, tossing him down onto the ground.

More Digimon were coming over the wall. A group of Vegimon were intercepted by a trio of Togemon, who knocked the vegetables away. Zassomon joined the Vegimon, driving back the Togemon until a Shurimon intervened. Nearby, Kogamon was facing off against Ninjamon, both shouting at each other as they blocked one another's blades. A trio of Kiwimon were overtaken by several Wendigomon, who crushed the wingless birds with ease.

"We're ten minutes into the battle and it's already going badly," Daiki muttered.

"Daiki! Judai!" Mervamon shouted, throwing off a Wendigomon. "Help the townsfolk! They're in danger!"

"What about you?" Dorugamon asked.

Spinning around, Mervamon cut down a giant tree Digimon. "I can handle things here. Right now, the Digimon who can't fight need your help. Just go!"

"You heard her, Dorugamon!" Judai said. "We're on it!"

Dorugamon turned and dashed towards the houses. Muttering under his breath, Daiki followed Renamon towards a house being attacked by a couple of Digmon. The fox quickly rammed into the two as Daiki helped a few Palmon out from the rubble. He watched them until they had gotten to safety and then turned just as Kyubimon finished off the last Digmon by setting it ablaze. Soon the fox was barreling into a Woodmon that had come too close, burning it with her Dragon Wheel attack.

"Help!"

Jumping at the sound of the sudden shout, Daiki spun around to watch Judai dive into a building. There was a crashing sound, followed by three Lalamon running out. When the blonde didn't come back out, Dorugamon yelled to get his attention, worried since a majority of the house had collapsed.

"I—my foot's stuck!" Judai replied.

_Damn it!_ Daiki thought, dashing towards the building. A Wendigomon tackled Dorugamon, and behind him Kyubimon was flung into the air by a Vegimon and Zassomon. The two Digimon could handle themselves fine. Daiki needed to help Judai before something serious happened. He dug into building, falling through the broken door and landing on his rear end. Blinking open his eyes, he found Judai staring at him. The younger boy was trying to pull his foot out from under a thick piece of stone.

"Daiki," Judai mumbled before groaning, once again trying to free his foot.

"Hang on," Daiki said, rushing over. He gripped the stone, grunting as he pulled up on it. "Shit, why is this so heavy?!"

"Just…forget about it!" Judai hissed.

"Don't say shit like that," Daiki replied with a slight growl. "I'm gonna…get you out!"

Judai stared up at him until something caught the boy's attention above Daiki. Eyes wide, he pointed towards the collapsed ceiling with a cry of, "Look out!" When he did look up, Daiki could see the wooden joint above him crack and come swinging down at him. Not thinking, he let go of the stone and raised his hands. The joint was halted, hitting his hands, though a stabbing pain shot down his spine. Groaning, he pushed against the joint.

"Son of a…"

"You okay?" Judai asked, worried.

"Heh…this is nothing," Daiki said, wincing. Damn if the wooden joint didn't feel like it weighed two tons! How could it be so heavy?! "What about you?"

The blonde attempted to free his foot once more, only to stop and shake his head. "Can't get free."

Daiki couldn't help but chuckle. "Look at us. Trapped while our partners are probably in the middle of a battle."

He really was, too. He couldn't push the beam forward because it would fall on Judai, and trying to lean it to either side might make him lose his hold and, once again, drop it on Judai or himself. He definitely didn't have the leverage to push it backwards either. Then he really would drop it.

"Just our luck, isn't it?" Judai mumbled. "It's my fault for not being careful. Seems like whenever I try to do something, I can't do it right…No wonder you yell at me."

Guilt crashed down on Daiki. "It's not that at all." When Judai looked at him, he continued. "Since I'm about to be crushed by a giant beam…I wanna say that I'm sorry." Closing his eyes, Daiki shook his head, his arms beginning to ache. "I'm hard on you because I want you to do something with your life instead of wasting it by playing video games every day. But you never listen to me. I don't want you to…to end up like my old man."

Surprised and speechless, Judai gaped.

"I really do care about you," Daiki muttered. "As much as I do everyone else. With the way I act around you, it must not seem that way. So, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," Judai said. "For never listening. I…I always thought you just didn't like me and that's why you always got mad at me."

"Do you think I'd put up with you if I didn't like you?" Daiki asked with a soft laugh.

"No, probably not," Judai answered, grinning.

Both stopped talking, focusing on trying to find a way to free themselves when two voices shouted, "Daiki! Judai!" Soon rubble was being shifted and thrown aside, and Dorugamon's head appeared through a hole. Alarmed at the sight he saw, he urged on the Togemon that was helping him. Once they had gotten enough cleared, he rushed inside and shoved the wooden beam to the side, Daiki let out a loud sigh and sunk to the floor, allowing himself a moment to rest. Togemon, having moved a bit more of the debris, flipped the stone off of Judai. The blonde clutched his foot tightly as it throbbed, letting out a loud hiss.

"I'm sorry it took so long," Dorugamon said, nudging his partner. "Are you hurt?"

"It's no big deal," Judai replied before looking at Daiki. "Hey, are you…?"

He trailed off when he saw Daiki hunched over with his forehead against the ground. Judai was about to speak again when Daiki raised a hand to cut the boy off.

"Need a minute," the older boy grumbled. "Holy _hell_ my back hurts now."

"Want a crutch, old man?" Judai teased, using Dorugamon's help to stand.

"Screw you."

The Togemon helped Daiki help, and he mumbled his thanks before making his way out of the rubble. Dorugamon, carrying Judai, trotted through the hole, and the Togemon hopped out after him. Kyubimon dashed past at that moment, snapping her jaws around a Vegimon and crushing it. The fox slid to a stop, looking at her partner. Daiki, partially ignoring her, looked around. While trapped in the building, though it hadn't been for long, the Amazons had turned the tide of the battle. He didn't see Mervamon, though.

"Where's Mervamon?"

"Fighting Dokugumon."

"Better help her."

Grimacing, Daiki motioned to Kyubimon. The fox didn't move, clearly concerned by the fact that her partner was injured. Rolling his eyes, Daiki motioned again, but Kyubimon shook her head. Leaning over, Judai whispered to Dorugamon, who nodded and dashed off. Annoyed, Daiki shot Kyubimon a glare that didn't faze her in the least.

"If I have to force you, I _will_ find a way," Daiki warned. "We don't have time for this. I might be hurt, but we still need to go help."

"Fine."

Surprised that she had finally caved, Daiki blinked. Shaking his head, he climbed onto her back. Kyubimon wheeled around and raced after Dorugamon. She caught up with him just as he reached Mervamon, who was busy avoiding being attacked while trying to get close to the giant spider Digimon in front of her.

"Why must you attack the innocent?" Mervamon demanded.

"Because you resist," Dokugumon answered. "If you simply surrendered and joined the Master, we would not have to fight. It is pointless for you to continue the road you are on!"

"Shut it, you ugly, eight-legged freak!" Daiki yelled. "Why don't you sit still so you can get squashed?"

"Foolish DigiDestined, always interfering in things that aren't your problems."

"It _is_ our problem!" Judai retorted.

"This world isn't the Master's," Dorugamon growled. "It belongs to all the Digimon who live here!"

"And so long as we are able to fight, we will make sure it stays that way," Kyubimon snarled angrily.

"Then you've sealed your fates!"

As the spider shot out a massive blast from her mouth, the three allies jumped out of the way. A Wendigomon, much larger than the others, slammed into Kyubimon while a Flymon tackled Dorugamon. Both Daiki and Judai were thrown off, landing close to each other. Struggling slightly to sit up, Daiki looked to where Kyubimon was, watch her throw off the Wendigomon in order to run after him. He raised his hand and swung it at her, but she dodged to the side, letting his palm hit the ground. Spreading her tails, she shouted, "Fox Tail Inferno!" and let loose the fireballs. The fire hit Wendigomon in the face, causing him to stumble back. Meanwhile, Dorugamon had shook the Flymon off his back and rammed the bug into the dirt, leaving a small hole in the ground. As the Flymon tried to get back up, Dorugamon shot out several metal balls. After the spheres hit the Flymon in the back, the bug burst into data. Kyubimon head-butted the Wendigomon and finished him off quickly with her Dragon Wheel attack.

Not far from them, Mervamon was weaving in between attacks, slowly closing in on Dokugumon. The spider seemed to notice and began shooting webs at the warrior. Mervamon merely leaped into the air, twisting around and raising her sword. She sliced the webs that were shot at her in half easily and swung her left arm, the Medulla hitting Dokugumon in the head. The spider staggered, allowing Mervamon to stab her sword into Dokugumon's middle. With a grunt, Mervamon landed and pulled her sword out, nearly cutting the spider in two.

"This is over," the swordswoman muttered.

Dokugumon let out a single scream before disintegrating.

Mervamon put her sword on her back and walked over to Daiki. When she offered him her hand, he took it, grumbling as she pulled him up. Judai slowly got to his feet, watching Kyubimon and Dorugamon rejoin them. Just as Kyubimon was going to speak, there was a victorious shout. Walking to where the main battle had taken place, they saw the last remaining intruders retreating through the holes in the wall while the Amazons cheered. Kyubimon and Dorugamon let themselves revert to their Rookie forms. Smirking, Mervamon trailed over to Stingmon.

"They would've done better had they been working together better," Stingmon grunted.

"In the end, we won." Mervamon folded her arms. "Dokugumon seemed weaker than last time. Much weaker."

"Think they moved the crystal?"

"Probably didn't think she and her troops were worth it."

"Dragon Zone already has one, and we already know that the ones that have been destroyed aren't going to be replaced. Wonder where they moved it to."

"Toy Zone, most likely."

Daiki, having listened to the conversation, chimed in. "If there's a Dark Crystal in Toy Zone and Dragon Zone, we'll need to go to the zones to destroy them."

"It's near impossible to get to Dragon Zone through the jungle, so it's easier to go through Toy Zone, and Toy Zone is to the east," Mervamon said, "but you'll never make it through the jungle without a guide. Which is why I'm coming with you."

Judai blinked. "But…what about the town?"

"The Master's forces won't be coming back for quite a while. Besides, Stingmon can handle things here. The sooner we leave, the faster we'll get there, and the quicker I can return." Turning, she shooed the four friends towards her house. "As soon as it's daytime, we're off. Be sure to get a good night's rest!"

"Okay, just don't push me!" Judai replied, quickening his pace to get out of her reach. Daiki laughed, and the blonde glanced at him. "The others are definitely gonna be wondering what happened."

"They must never know," Daiki joked, elbowing Judai.

"Race you to the house!" Dorumon shouted.

The small Digimon dashed past Judai. Grinning, the boy ran after his partner. Daiki watched, trying not to laugh as Judai limped and hopped, trying to catch up and stay off his injured foot. Renamon folded her arms, walking beside Daiki.

"Seems as though you are in a better mood."

"If you say so," Daiki said with a slight smile. "I really did need that lecture."

"Anytime you need to talk, I'm here," Renamon replied.

"Thanks."

* * *

Hope you liked it! Daiki and Judai are fun to write for. By the way, would anyone be interested in a chapter focusing on Leomon? If so, do tell! I wasn't going to, but I thought it would be good to show what's going on with him during the time the others are running around if people are interested.


	19. 18 - Set Me Free

I think I'll do the Leomon chapter—it'll be the next one. As for this chapter, there's some slight language again. I hope this includes a bit of a surprise for everyone! Read it, tell me if you see any major errors, and leave a review!

* * *

Sitting in a chair within a dimly lit room, a candle on top of tiny table being the only light source, was a small Digimon. With a huff the humanoid glared at the candle. The past few days had been uneventful despite having to continue "working," as his superiors kindly described it. Since he focused better when there wasn't much light, he had only be given a candle. Hence was the reason it was so dark inside his room. Shifting his golden eyes, the Digimon looked down at the mirror in his hands. It was of moderate size, being approximately ten inches long and six inches wide. His gloved hands clutched at it tightly as he stared.

He was lucky, he supposed, eyeing the silver armor he wore being reflected in the boundaries of the mirror. He noted with a quiet snort that his bronze skin looked darker because of the bright color of his armor. Moving one hand, he flicked the omega symbol craved into the center of his breastplate. Of all the powers to have, why did he have this one? Why couldn't he have something that wasn't so intruding, so demeaning, so…_oppressive?_ Then again, it was why he was sitting there. He had a purpose.

And the reason why he was still alive was because he was an asset to the Master. But once he was no longer of any use, he'd be erased. He knew that, no matter how much he wanted to deny that and forget about it to make himself feel better.

That train of thought made him sigh.

His door creaked open. "Something the matter?" A soft voice asked from the doorway.

Jumping, he wheeled his gaze around to stare, but found only shadows, the candlelight illuminating nothing but the dark eyes looking at him.

"M-Master," he stuttered. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Oh, nothing. I was simply checking up on you, Hypnocomon," the voice purred.

"Thank you," he whispered, shivering at the tone the words were spoken in. "I have a feeling there's more to it than that, though."

"Perceptive as always." There was a brief pause. "Angela and Devimon have returned."

"They have, have they?"

"Yes. And Angela is _slipping_." The last word was spoken with a hint of annoyance which made him wince.

"I've noticed. Seems as though that Mikami girl has had more of an impact on her than we first thought."

"Well, Hypnocomon, _fix her_, unless you have lost your worth."

The growl that accompanied the command was enough to make him freeze. Slowly, the grip on his mirror tightened. He didn't want to take his eyes off his leader, but the image inside the mirror rippled. With a glance, he stared down at it, watching Angela and Devimon walk towards the castle. The girl's eyes were somewhat narrowed, eyebrows furrowing when her sight came to rest on the entrance. The worried expression on Devimon's face made Hypnocomon curious, but he didn't have time to think about it at that moment.

"If I put too much force into it, it could—"

"I am aware what _could_ happen. Do not lecture me and do as you're told, else I will permanently relieve you of your duties."

Swallowing, he tried to stop himself from shaking. "Of course, Master," he whispered. "Right away."

He waited with baited breath until the presence in the doorway disappeared and the footsteps down the hall had faded. As soon as he felt he was safe, he let out a withering sigh. Focusing, he locked his eyes on his mirror, which now showed only Angela.

_This will __**not**__ end well,_ he thought to himself, closing his eyes. _I just hope it doesn't end as badly as I think it will._

X~X

Almost as soon as she had walked through the door, mulling over the day's events and wondering why it felt like her chest was slowly being crushed—_it couldn't possibly be _regret_, could it?_—she found herself with a migraine. While she had been through a migraine once before, when she was younger, this one was worse. The throbbing pain actually went down into her neck. Moving her neck, head, and even her eyes seemed to cause stabbing sensations. Stopping in her tracks, she gently put her fingertips onto her temples.

_Shit_, she thought, closing her eyelids slowly.

Then Devimon spoke up. "Are you okay?"

_Just shut up for once—_

"Angela, what's wrong?" He asked, a hint of concern in his words.

Hissing, she cracked open a single eyelid. "Head," she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. "Migraine."

"Migraine?"

"Do you not know what a fu—" She stopped herself short and took a deep breath as pain lanced through her. "Head feels like it's exploding."

"That sounds rather unpleasant," the devil stated.

_If I could kill you, I _would_ right now. SHUT UP!_

Seeing that she once again winced when he spoke, he quieted. However, she soon found herself being swept off her feet. Black and white spots erupted into her vision following the sudden movement, the agony making her gasp. If it wasn't for the fact that she didn't want to further damage her already bruised pride, and she didn't want to make her head hurt any worse than it already was, she probably would have shouted. Letting her eyes open enough to see Devimon, albeit barely, she found him staring down at her. It took her a moment to register that he had actually picked her up.

"I'll take you to your room," he whispered. "Hope you can bear it once when we go up the stairs."

_Stairs, always stairs,_ she thought dismally. _Damn stairs._

"Think you can?"

"Yeah," she rasped.

Attempting to lighten the mood, he grinned. "You're heavier than you look," he quipped.

"Jerk."

When they did began going up the stairs to get to the floor where the bedrooms were, Devimon was careful not to jostle her too much. She was secretly impressed, but she wondered why he was suddenly being so nice. She was in pain, yeah, but…she stopped and thought back to their visit to Byte Town. After Mikami had left, the devil had been sorry for letting her down. Even though he was a jerk most of the time, he still had it in him to be _chivalrous,_ of all things. If it didn't hurt to, she might've laughed about it.

Maybe the migraine was causing her to act a bit off.

He stepped down too hard and she sucked in a breath. _Stupid stairs._

She was dimly aware of Devimon awkwardly opening her door, and then she was on her bed. When her hand reached to grab her other pillow, he grabbed it for her, and she buried her face into it.

Devimon wondered why, but he wasn't going to ask. It didn't last long, because she shifted to lay on her side with her back to him. She curled into a partial ball, covering her ear with the pillow instead.

"Need a blanket?"

"No."

"Do you need anything else at all?"

"Stop. Be quiet," she replied, almost too softly. "Go away."

Smirking, the devil shrugged even though she wouldn't be able to see. He obliged, leaving the room and gently shutting the door behind him. Leaning against the wood, he glanced from side to side before frowning. He had a feeling he knew who was behind this considering the odd timing of it. Question was, what could he do about it? Lashing out might cause things to become worse, but if he didn't… His head snapped up as he let out a low growl, finding his resolve. He didn't care what happened at that point as he began marching down the hallway. Only he got to hurt his partner. Not that he would. He didn't think he had it in him.

A few minutes later, he came to a stop in front of one particular room. Grasping the handle, he did his best to appear calm and swung the door open slowly.

Hypnocomon, who hadn't been expecting any company, started slightly and briefly glanced at him before looking at his mirror.

"Devimon."

"Hypnocomon," Devimon greeted in reply, walking into the room. "How has your day been?"

"We both know you don't really care," Hypnocomon grumbled. "What do you want?"

Placing his hand on his chest, Devimon feigned an insulted expression. "I'm hurt, Hypno. You're like a brother to me."

"What is it that Angela says? Oh, yeah. Screw you." Wrinkling his nose, Hypnocomon blinked his glowing eyes. "I'm trying to concentrate. Go away."

"No. Screw you." Grinning when the smaller Digimon looked at him, Devimon raised his hands and shrugged. "You said it first."

Exhaling heavily, Hypnocomon turned his head just enough to be able to look at Devimon from the corner of his eye. "This is about Angela, isn't it?"

"Possibly." Now Devimon was purposefully attempting to frustrate Hypnocomon. The little twerp deserved it, after all. Once someone got on his nerves or made him mad, Devimon was going to make sure they paid one way or another. It didn't matter if it was through physical contact or words. "Maybe this is about me. Or about you."

Hypnocomon knew his game. Not that he particularly cared at that moment. "I take that as 'this is most definitely about Angela,' and we're going to talk about _that_ again."

"That's exactly what this is about."

"Devimon, I have my orders. I can't go against them."

"Can't…or won't?" Devimon prodded.

"We're not going through this again—"

Snapping, Devimon stormed forward and roughly punched Hypnocomon in the side of the face. The humanoid fell from his chair, hitting the ground, while his mirror clattered to the floor noisily. Surprised, Hypnocomon placed his hand on his cheek and stared up at Devimon with wide eyes. Growling loudly, Devimon grabbed Hypnocomon and slammed him against the wall, pushing one arm against the frightened humanoid's throat while his other fist was raised. Hands gripped his upper arm, but he ignored them, his anger boiling over as his eyes blazed.

"_We are going to talk about this,_" Devimon snarled, "_right now, you little dick._"

"D-Devimon…!"

"It's over! Do you hear me?" Devimon demanded. "This is the last time you're going to hurt her."

"What's gotten into you? Since when did you…_care_ so much?"

"Since _now_."

"You'd go against the Master's wishes?"

"To protect Angela, yes." He shoved harder, causing Hypnocomon to let out a short, pained gasp. "You're going too far."

Realizing that he was trying to speak, Devimon moved his arm so that he wasn't pushing against the humanoid's throat as harshly.

"You think I do this because I want to?" Hypnocomon asked. "You think I like making some girl writhe in pain? I don't!"

"Then _stop_."

"You _know_ what'll happen to me!"

"You're a damn coward," Devimon said. "Only worried about yourself."

"Like you're one to talk, huh?" Forced laughter made the devil scowl. "You've never cared about anyone else besides yourself and the Master until now. How ironic is that? You're such a hypocrite and you won't even admit it. Just like everyone else here, you're too prideful."

"I don't care what you think about me," Devimon replied.

"Right, because this is about Angela, isn't it?"

"How much pain does she have to go through just because you're afraid?"

Golden eyes locking on Devimon's, Hypnocomon let his jaw drop open. When he didn't supply a response, Devimon threw him to the floor and stepped back, breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself. While the smaller Digimon tried to recover from the assault, Devimon stalked over to where the mirror was. Hypnocomon raised his head just as the devil moved his foot to hover over the object. Just as the humanoid let out a strangled shout, Devimon smashed the heel of his boot into the glass. A loud '_crack'_ filled the room as it shattered. He repeatedly stomped on the mirror pieces, taking out his fury on the remains of the mirror instead. When he was done, Hypnocomon scrambled over to the shards and stared in disbelief. His gaze swung up to Devimon.

"You've outlived your usefulness."

"W-what are you going to do now?" Hypnocomon asked, voice shaking.

"You have two choices," Devimon answered, not bothering to look at him. "You can stay here and be deleted once the Master finds out, or you can leave now and escape."

"H-how could I escape?"

"Go find MailBirdramon. He'll take you somewhere safe."

Shakily standing, Hypnocomon looked at Devimon one last time before hurrying out of the room.

Devimon rolled his shoulders and walked out, slamming the door behind him. He folded his arms and headed back to Angela's room. She was probably asleep by now, but he still wanted to check on her. It took some time to get back to her bedroom, and he was careful when opening the door. Of course, he was right when he had guessed she was sleeping. He slipped inside, trying his best not to wake his partner. She had already relaxed some, though he knew it would take quite a while for her to fully recover. What she really needed at that moment was peace and quiet. With that in mind, he left again, sliding the door shut as quietly as he possibly could.

x~x

_The sun was remarkably bright, hurting her eyes even though she kept them trained on the sidewalk underneath her feet. It was nearing noon, and she was heading to her friend's house. They had planned this almost a week ago, deciding on Sunday that they would go to the park on Saturday. Lifting her arm, she flattened her hand out and attempted to shade her eyes as she squinted against the light. They were definitely going into the more shaded part of the park; she was _not_ going to deal with the sunlight._

_She could hear loud talking as she closed in on the house. Smiling, she looked at the window to see her brunette friend pressing her hands and face against the glass. A different hand goaded her away, and soon the door swung open. The young girl came dashing down the steps, an excited look on her face. Her mother followed her, clearly amused._

"_And don't come back!" A voice shouted jokingly. _

_The woman glanced over her shoulder when a black haired man stopped at the doorway, arms folded and mouth turned upwards in a smile. The woman smiled, waving goodbye. _

"_Angie!" Mikami cried out, throwing her arms around the blonde._

"_Calm down." Angela ordered, though she laughed. "Ready?"_

_Mikami hopped up and down. "You bet I am!"_

"_You're forgetting something," her father called, swinging something around his finger._

_Eyebrows shooting upwards, Mikami wheeled around and ran up to him. He handed her the object. She hurried back over to Angela and held out the item with a grin._

"_I got these for you!"_

"_Technically, Mikami, I bought them," her mother said._

_Mikami frowned at her and then shoved the item into Angela's hands. Utterly confused, she looked down to find that they were goggles. They were, in fact, an exact replica of the goggles worn by the leader of the DigiDestined from the Digimon show. Trying her best not to giggle, Angela held them in one hand and wrapped her other arm around Mikami in a hug._

"_Thanks," she said._

"And_ they're…um…adjustable!" The six year old exclaimed. "The strap. See? So you can wear them when you get older."_

_Angela smiled. "You think of everything, don't you?"_

_Rubbing her nose, Mikami beamed. "I do!"_

Moaning, Angela moved her arm to cover her eyes. The lights weren't on, but the sunlight was bright coming in from the window. She gave herself the time to gather her wits while waiting for the remnants of the throbbing pain to fade. The last thing she remembered was walking into the castle; everything after that was fuzzy. However, when she tried to think back to what had happened before arriving on the island, she couldn't recall it. Any of it, for that matter. Her memories of the past couple of months (had it really been that long?) were unclear. Confusion set in. If there was one thing she prided herself on, it was her memory. Suddenly being unable to remember, even after having had a migraine, was strange.

Moving sluggishly, she lowered her arm and cracked an eye open. The sun had moved just enough so that no beams of light fell directly on her face. She turned onto her side, looking at the nightstand beside her bed. She noticed that there was on particular item on top that she hadn't touched since she first arrived. Sitting up, she reached over and grabbed the small picture frame. When she looked down at it, she smiled slightly.

She remembered when the picture was taken, thankfully. Several years ago, when she had been just a child, she had gone out to the park with Mikami. The brunette's mother had insisted on taking a picture. She had given Angela a copy of it when they returned home.

_Mikami…_

Her eyes widened.

The memories came flooding back one by one, from the day she met Devimon to just recently, when she had battled with Mikami. She forgot how to breathe for a moment. It took her several moments to get her lungs working, and she shakily breathed in.

_Oh, god._

The sudden sound of knocking made her jump. Hastily putting the picture back, with the picture down, she looked to the door. She had to take in a deep breath to steel herself. The door creaked at it opened, with Devimon poking his head inside. When he locked eyes with her, there was a brief look of relief on his face. Or maybe it was her imagination; she didn't know. She offered him a smile. The devil looked at her before sitting down in the chair by her desk, stretching his legs all the way out.

"Feel better?" Devimon asked.

"Oh, you're _adorable_ when you're concerned," she teased, though she was being sincere. Devimon scowled. "I feel much better. Thanks for asking."

Devimon snorted. "I'm glad."

Angela snickered. "Really now?"

As she swung her legs over the side of the bed and began to stand, Devimon hopped to his feet and helped her.

"What are you wanting to do?"

"Go for a walk," she said, placing a hand against her back as she sighed. "I'm stiff."

"Take it easy," the devil grunted.

"Yeah, yeah, I will, _mom_," she muttered with a smirk at the indignant look on Devimon's face. "C'mon."

They headed out of the room, Devimon right beside her. Trying not to laugh at him, Angela headed for the staircase that led to the first floor. After that ordeal, she needed some fresh air desperately. The two walked in silence until they reached the stairs.

"You wouldn't happen to know what caused the migraine, would you?" Angela asked.

"I can never hide anything from you, can I?"

"Nope. Spit it out."

"Hypnocomon."

Blinking, Angela scrunched up her face. "The little Digimon that looks like someone doused his skin in bronze paint?"

Devimon rolled his eyes. "Yes, him. You were never told his abilities because there was concerns that you might…rebel."

"Rebel? What are you talking about?"

"Hypnocomon has the ability to force his will onto others so long as they are mentally weak enough. It's what he did to you when you were brought to the Digital World."

She stopped dead in her tracks and stared up at him. "_What?_"

"Exactly what I said."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Why not?"

Giving him a skeptical look, Angela pursed her lips. "Maybe because of the fact that it's obviously something the Master ordered."

"I don't care about the Master's orders," he replied nonchalantly.

"_You_ don't care about orders," she muttered doubtfully. "You _always_ follow orders. Without question."

"Not anymore."

"I'm having a hard time believing what you're saying."

"So am I." He walked down a few steps before pausing. "Mikami mentioned that she felt the need to protect the people she cares about. I think I understand what she meant now." He chuckled lightly. "Strange, hearing those words coming from my own mouth. I haven't cared about anyone else in a long time."

"Okay, what in the world are you talking about?"

Letting out a frustrated breath, Devimon glowered at Angela. "You. I'm talking about you."

She stared at him for a few moments before busting out laughing, holding her stomach. Devimon, with an expression of insult, gaped at her. She took her time calming herself, holding up one hand to try and defend herself from his displeasure. Eventually, since he was tired of it, Devimon turned around and began to walk down the steps to try and put distance between them. Still chuckling slightly and somewhat out of breath, Angela did her best to speak.

"W-wait!" She said, clearing her throat as she stopped laughing. "I'm sorry."

"Sure you are," Devimon muttered dryly.

"I really am! I guess wasn't really expecting that." She breathed out. "Are you sure, though?"

"I have never been more certain in my life."

Resuming her descent, Angela walked past him and smiled. "Think we should bother Mr. Samurai?"

"Changing the subject, are we?" Devimon asked with a smirk. "Sounds like fun."

"Hell knows we need some fun."

They turned down a hallway once they reached the bottom of the stairs, heading for the training room. Their target was usually inside the room practicing his sword skills. If there was one thing he absolutely hated, it was being bothered when he was practicing. His reaction was sure to give the duo the entertainment they needed. The samurai was the only one who ever really used the training room because everyone else preferred to go outside to do their exercises and train, so it would be even better.

"What were you dreaming about?"

Tilting her head to the side, Angela looked at Devimon. "What?"

"Do I really need to repeat myself?"

"Do _I_ have to answer you?"

"No."

"Childhood." That was all she said, but there was a small smile on her face.

When they began closing in on the room, voices reached their ears. Curious, Angela flattened herself against the wall and peeked inside, listening closely. Devimon simply hid within the shadows and folded his arms. The blonde could see Musyamon and another Digimon, one who she didn't recognize. The small red Digimon looked incredibly flustered.

"What are you doing here, Shoutmon?" Musyamon demanded.

"Boss sent me! The meeting's gonna be soon and you're still here."

"I am aware. I have not had the chance to leave."

"You're getting too reckless! What if you're caught? We'll be out on ice!"

"_I know_. Recent events have pushed me to become hasty."

"Oh, really? Y'know that if they find out you're gonna be destroyed."

"Tell Harpymon that I will come as soon as possible. You, on the other hand, must leave immediately."

Angela looked at Devimon. Both of them had heard of Harpymon from reports; she was the one leading the group against the Master. She didn't know what to do, but Angela figured they had to let themselves be known. She took in a deep breath, then slowly and quietly let it out. She motioned Devimon to stay and walked inside the room. The two spun to look at her. Shoutmon stared in partial fear while Musyamon narrowed his eyes. She spoke up before either of them could say a word.

"I heard everything."

"What are you going to do?" Musyamon asked.

Angela glanced over at Devimon, able to see only his eyes, before sucking in a breath and locking eyes with the two Digimon in front of her.

"I'm not going to do anything," she said. When they gave her skeptical looks, she clarified. "Devimon and I aren't going to do anything to you. You should go, though. Both of you."

Shoutmon finally gathered his courage to talk. "Why would you let us go?"

"Because," she answered, "I have a reason to help you. Hurry up and go."

Shoutmon hurried out of the room, practically running. Musyamon calmly approached Angela, clearly waiting to hear what else she wanted to say.

"I won't alert the Master," Angela told. "And I won't mention this to anyone else. If someone asks me I'll just tell them you went out training."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied. "Guess this answers why you've disappeared sometimes," she said jokingly.

Musyamon smirked. "I suppose it does. What will you do now?"

"Not sure, but whatever I do, you can bet it won't be to help the Master anymore."

She watched him leave, the samurai throwing a glance to Devimon, who held up a hand in farewell. She waited until he had left to come out into the hallway to stand beside Devimon.

"I always did want to change my world," she whispered quietly. The devil looked mildly surprised by the tone of her voice. "People were cruel. Life was unfair. At first, I wanted to do it for Mikami." It was hard to admit that, since she still had those forged feelings drifting through her mind. "And then my life went to shit, too. All that anger is what made me weak enough to be controlled. I made Digimon's lives as miserable as mine had become. Even more so, actually." Her shoulders drooped. "Mikami never let her past get in the way of her helping others despite the fact that the world ruined the life she had before. Why couldn't I be as strong as her?"

Devimon placed a hand on her shoulder, saying nothing. He simply offered her comfort. She was glad to take it.


	20. 19 - Maybe I'm A Lion

Ugh, this chapter definitely isn't as good as I would like it to be… Anyways, I'd like to apologize for how long this update took. There really isn't any excuse for it. School has left me busy, but I really should have tried to work on this more. Hopefully I'll have the next one out sooner… As always, leave a review and tell me if you spot any mistakes. x_x

* * *

Wind whistled in his ears as he fell, stopping only when his body hit the water with enough force to cause a massive splash. For a few moments he was left dazed, eyesight blurry. The sound of a roar brought him back into awareness quickly, however, and he shifted in order to swim towards where he could see the white of the ice. With a gasp he broke through the surface of the water, hands grasping at the frozen mass while his claws dug in to keep himself from slipping. He hefted himself onto the ice while glancing over his shoulder at the furious Digimon behind him. Trying to calm his breathing, Leomon stared, fur standing on end.

Seadramon's head swung around, eyes locking onto him. Pushing himself to his feet, the lion sprinted away in time to avoid the tail that came swinging down.

"Quit moving you little pest!" Seadramon hissed.

Leomon ducked, watching the tail move past above him. Seadramon let out a frustrated grunt, bringing his tail around rather quickly. Though he attempted to get back to a standing position, Leomon found Seadramon's tail slamming into his back. He let out a pained shouted, gripping at the snow covered ice. The tail came down repeatedly, pummeling him even as the ice underneath him began to crack. When it stopped, the lion couldn't even get into a sitting position. Boisterous laughter echoed around him. Gritting his teeth, the lion shook as he tried to push himself up.

"All those stories about how strong you were," Seadramon declared, "were nothing but fairy tales. How foolish of you to sacrifice yourself for _humans_ and the pets they claim are Digimon."

Clenching his hands into fists, Leomon stared with a mild sense of fear. Seadramon raised his tail, preparing to smash him. Not once had he imagined that he would die such a lowly death, especially at the hands of a Digimon like Seadramon. His thoughts drifted momentarily to the DigiDestined and the allies he had left behind. He had failed all of them.

Then a voice rang out, calling his name in concern.

The lion's head raised slightly, watching a fireball explode upon hitting Seadramon. Wheeling around, the sea dragon was met with a red blur. His head snapped to the side, caught by surprise. When the figure landed, Leomon gaped. The red Digimon in front of him looked back with a cheeky grin, giving him a thumbs up. Meanwhile, another Digimon appeared, swinging a pair of blades he held in his hands. The weapons cut through Seadramon's tail, slicing off a sizable portion. The white and blue humanoid dropped to the ground beside his partner, turning to examine the lion.

"Agunimon, Lobomon," Leomon breathed out quietly. "How did you two find me?"

"It wasn't exactly hard, considering how loudly that _snake_ was hissing," Lobomon sneered.

"Plus, you have a distinctive roar!" Agunimon added with a loud bark of laughter. He proceeded to wave his hand at the lion. "Rest for a bit. We'll finish this guy off. Ready, Lobomon?"

The warrior grunted his affirmation.

"You think you measly _insects,_" Seadramon snarled, "can defeat _me?!_"

Agunimon glanced at his friend with a smile. "We made the snake mad."

"Good," Lobomon replied, smirking.

The duo crouched, preparing themselves, and then leapt into the air. The fiery fighter drove his heel into Seadramon's forehead and followed the attack by spinning around to deliver a flaming kick. Seadramon's head snapped to the side from the force, accompanied by a pained shout. As he landed, Lobomon drove one of his blades into Seadramon's chest, using it as a handhold while he slashed with his other sword. The serpentine beast attempted to shake him off, only for Agunimon to the use brief lapse of concentration to jump back up and punch Seadramon's jaw. The two landed beside each other again, sharing a glance.

"What do you think, Lobomon?" Agunimon asked. "How much can he take?"

"Not much," Lobomon answered.

Agunimon once again grinned. "Ready, set…go!"

Dashing forward, Agunimon rushed towards Seadramon. As the sea serpent attempted to attack, the fighter dodged and punched him in the stomach. While the other humanoid drew the attention of Seadramon, Lobomon used his swords to launch blasts of light. They burst against Seadramon, causing him to sway to the side. Agunimon landed for only a moment before leaping upwards.

"Pyro Tornado!"

"Lobo Kendo!"

The two attacks hit at the same time, Lobomon's swords slicing Seadramon in half while Agunimon's exploded in a bright haze.

The duo landed in front of Leomon, paying no mind to the Digimon that was disintegrating behind them. Elbowing his partner in the side, Agunimon motioned to the lion with a nod of his head. Lobomon mostly ignored him, helping the lion to stand instead.

"You know, I would've thought he'd been more of a challenge," the fiery warrior mumbled once Leomon was standing. "He was barely anything. How'd he beat you?"

The exhausted lion, still partially bent over, looked at the other Digimon with slight annoyance. "The past few weeks are beginning to take their toll."

"Uh…" Agunimon rubbed the back of his head. "Ah. Sorry. Didn't…" He trailed off, a sheepish smile on his face.

"None of that matters. Where are the DigiDestined?" Lobomon asked.

Leomon closed his eyes. "Gone." The worried looks from the two prompted him to elaborate. "They were separated when Seadramon and Airdramon attacked. I have no idea where they are now."

Hissing, Agunimon winced. "That's too bad."

"Thank you for the help, but I have to find them."

"You can't," Lobomon stated.

Opening his eyes widely, Leomon stared. "_What?_"

"Harpymon has called a meeting. The DigiDestined will be fine, I'm sure. Right now, there's other things we have to worry about."

"Whoa, Lobomon," Agunimon objected, "that's a bit harsh, don't you think? If something happens to any of them, then everything will be—"

"It isn't wise to underestimate them. Besides, even if we were to go searching, it would be inefficient to do so with only three of us. It's for the best if we report back to Harpymon and have scouts sent out."

"Ugh, I hate it when you're right!"

"Must you act so immature?"

"Do you have to be such a smartass?"

"Agunimon…"

"If we're going to the headquarters, then we should be on our way," Leomon said, interrupting the two just as they had leaned closer to each other with the clear intention of fighting.

Agunimon straightened while Lobomon cleared his throat. "Right. Call Aquilamon and Thunderbirmon back."

Rolling his eyes, Lobomon put his fingers to his lips and whistled. Shortly after, two bird Digimon came swooping down, one red and the other blue. The red bird's eyes locked onto Leomon with mild surprise, but neither of the flyers said anything. While Agunimon helped Leomon onto Aquilamon's back, Lobomon quickly explained the situation to the two. Once they understood, he turned his focus back to Leomon.

"Will you be alright riding alone?" He asked.

"Yes," the lion answered, raising an eyebrow in the process.

Agunimon snorted in an attempt to keep from laughing. "To be fair, you're about as heavy as the two of us combined because of all that muscle of yours."

"Of course," the lion muttered dryly.

"Agunimon!" Lobomon snapped, having already climbed onto Thunderbirmon. Grumbling, Agunimon joined him, earning a bemused look from the blue bird. With a hand signal from Lobomon, the two birds took to the sky.

~0~

A massive castle rose up into the sky in the distance, a breathtaking sight to behold. The closer the group got to it, the louder the roaring of a waterfall could be heard. The two birds swooped down towards the island once overhead, landing in front of a pair of giant, wooden doors. Agunimon hopped down to the ground, stretching his arms out. He walked up to Aquilamon and helped Leomon get down. Lobomon slid off Thunderbirmon's back and approached the gate, looking upwards with his eyes squinted. Once he spotted what he was searching for, he put his hands on his hips.

"Knightmon! Open the gate!"

"Ah, Sir Lobomon!" While the knight sounded surprised, Lobomon knew that he wasn't. "Welcome back! The door will be opened right away!"

_He's almost as bad as Agunimon_, Lobomon thought sourly, scrunching up his face. _How one who follows the code of "chivalry" can act like such a child at times…_ He shook his head.

The gate slowly opened as Agunimon and Leomon stopped at his side.

"…And then he gets mad at me!" Agunimon announced dramatically, clearly not caring that Lobomon could now hear him. "I looked at him and said, 'Are you serious? It was an accident!' Then he just glares and says, 'You did it on purpose.' Like I would do not for shits and giggles!"

Letting out a loud sigh, Lobomon covered his face with his hand.

"Can you _believe_ that?!" Agunimon asked in exasperation.

"It is very hard to believe," Leomon said in monotone.

Once the gate was fully opened, the trio made their way in.

The entrance hall was massive, buzzing with activity as various Digimon made their way about their day. A small Digimon noticed the trio, her eyes landing on Leomon with a loud shocked gasp. The noise drew the attention of others nearby, and soon everyone in the room was crowding around the three. Annoyed, Lobomon pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an audible sigh. The clamor made Leomon move his free hand to press against his ear. Agunimon smiled sympathetically, knowing that the sheer current volume in the room hurt the lion's ears.

"Everyone move aside!"

The voice startled most of the Digimon, and soon all of them were moving. When there was a clear path, a white Digimon strolled towards the three calmly. It took a moment for Leomon to realize it was Harpymon.

"Return to your work," Harpymon ordered, glaring at the spectators. Hearing a few of them grumble, she growled, "Now."

Leomon lowered his hand, watching everyone disperse. Clearing her throat, Harpymon turned and motioned for the three to follow her. They made their way up the stairs and through the doors at the top. Inside the smaller room was a large, round table with a handful of Digimon around it. One Digimon in particular caught Leomon's eye, causing him to grunt in mild surprise. It seemed the Digimon felt the same way, because Leomon could see his eyes widen.

"Leomon, what happened to you?" IceDevimon asked, hurrying as he walked around the table. "It's only been two days since I last saw you!" He stopped in front of Leomon, frowning.

"I'm afraid I ran into some…trouble since then."

"Yes, I can see that. Goodness, just look at you!"

"I'm aware, IceDevimon."

"That's enough of that," Harpymon called, tapping on the table. "Hurry up."

Lobomon scoffed, taking his place at the table. IceDevimon, though reluctant, returned to where he had been standing before. Agunimon helped Leomon to walk up to the table. The lion slipped out of Agunimon's grasp and opted to lean over the table instead. He looked around, eyeing everyone that was there before he noted that there were two Digimon that weren't there. Knowing that one of them had the habit of showing up late, he opted to ask about the other.

"Musyamon?"

"I'm afraid no one has heard from him for a while," Harpymon answered. "He recently enlisted in the Master's army in order to relay information to us, but it has been some time since his last report. Shoutmon left to find him and bring him back. There's no way of knowing when he'll come." She glanced to the side. "That's not important at the moment. I want to know what happened. Why did Lobomon and Agunimon return with only you?"

He let out a sigh and recounted the events once again. When he was finished, Harpymon narrowed her eyes.

"Angemon, how scouts sent out. Get in touch with all of our available contacts. _If_ we're lucky, someone might have seen them. For now, we had best prepare for the worst."

"The DigiDestined are alive," Leomon objected.

"How do you know that?" IceDevimon asked curiously.

"Yes, Leomon, do tell," Harpymon said.

"They have gone through worse than this on their journey," the lion stated with a slight growl. "They'll survive and find their way back to each other. They have before."

"Still, we shouldn't get our hopes up. Should something happen that isn't in our favor, we need to be ready."

Agunimon, noticing the annoyed look on Leomon's face, spoke up. "Don't you think that we should have a bit of faith in them?"

"Considering I have never personally met them, no."

"We know for a fact they wiped out Fractal Fortress and defeated Arbormon from reading the reports we've received," Lobomon pointed out. "It is clear that they are quite capable."

"Even so—"

Lobomon didn't let her finish. "They defeated Greymon, protected the Village of Beginnings, and survived an encounter with Angela and Devimon…" He paused, enjoying the irritation on Harpymon's face. "It seems they've accomplished much more than we have recently."

"Lobomon," Harpymon hissed in warning.

He stared at her in defiance. She huffed, covering her face.

Leomon had tuned them out, looking over his shoulder at the door for a moment. He was worried, as the last of their group should have joined them by now. He turned back, catching Agunimon's attention as he cleared his throat.

"Where is Lowemon?"

Agunimon froze, eyes widening. Lobomon abruptly looked at the warrior in concern, causing Leomon to stare in confusion. Without warning, Agunimon turned around and hurried out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Unable to move, Leomon watched, worried but not knowing what to say.

"Can you go check on him for me?" Lobomon asked, looking at IceDevimon. The devil nodded, heading for the door within moments. Noticing the bewildered look on Leomon's face, Lobomon lowered his head. "Lowemon is gone."

"What do you mean—?"

"He was captured." Clenching his hands into fists, Lobomon leaned over the side of the table. "We heard from Musyamon what they did to him. They—" He choked up for a moment but forced himself to continue. "They corrupted his data and turned him into Duskmon."

"I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"You couldn't have known." Lobomon flicked his gaze to the door. "Agunimon can't stand to hear about it."

Leomon stared with a sympathetic expression. "Who can blame him? To have your best friend taken…"

No one spoke following the conversation until Harpymon announced, "I'm postponing this meeting until tomorrow. Lobomon, you should go find Agunimon and make sure he's okay."

Lobomon, nodding, exited the room. The others left one by one, leaving Harpymon alone with Leomon. She moved around the table, motioning for Leomon to put his arm around her shoulders. He begrudgingly did so, feeling ridiculous. Help from Agunimon and Lobomon was one thing, but from his superior? In all honesty, he felt embarrassed by the fact that he needed to accept her help.

"You should have been careful," she chided, though she was clearly worried about him. "What if you had gotten defeated, or worse?"

"Technically I _was_ defeated."

"You're lucky Agunimon and Lobomon arrived when they did."

"Yes, I know."

She sighed. "I'm just glad that you came back in one piece."

"Had the DigiDestined not taken out Airdramon, I might not of."

"Well then, I'll just have to thank them, won't I?"

Leomon snorted. "I do owe them more than I can say."

"If you owe them, then so do I."

They walked in silence after she finished talking, heading for the living quarters. Digimon that passed them by greeted them happily, many of them pleased to see that Leomon had returned. By the time they reached Leomon's room, his mood had improved significantly, though his body ached more than he cared to admit. Harpymon opened the door for him, holding it as he grabbed the doorframe. A thought crossed his mind, something that he had been wondering about for a while now. Turning, he looked at Harpymon, who was clearly wondering why he was just standing there.

"Darcmon. When did she…?"

"Not long after you left to find the chosen Digimon." She lowered her gaze with a sad sigh. "I'm sorry, Leomon. I know you two were close. You should get some rest now."

He nodded, slowly walking into his room. The door closed behind him, and he carefully sat down onto his bed. He swung his legs up onto it and laid back, closing his eyes against the throbbing pain.

_How could you lose hope so easily, Darcmon…?_


	21. 20 - Through The Looking Glass

Hello! Here's the new chapter. This one takes a break from the norm, so bear with me, okay? It's meant to be more on the humorous side, so I hope I succeeded! If you see any mistakes I missed, be sure to tell me! Also, yes, I did get a bit lazy and skip some of the exploration parts, but that's because of the fact that it would've gotten pretty repetitive. Enjoy!

* * *

Mervamon had taken them to the edge of the Toy Zone, just as she had promised. She had handed them a map and pointed them in the general direction of the city. After saying their goodbyes, she left to return to her home while the four headed for Block City. Judai had mentioned that the city must have been rather large for them to be able to see it, even though it was nothing but a blurry shape in the distance. They didn't anticipate just how big it really was, though. The closer they got, the bigger it seemed to get. Once they were right outside of the city, they could see just how expansive it was.

Dorumon's jaw dropped. "I always heard it was big, but this is…wow!"

Daiki's face was a mixture of disbelief and reluctance. "We're gonna get lost in there."

"I believe that is an understatement," Renamon said.

"I _told_ you," Judai muttered under his breath.

Daiki shot him an annoyed look, warning him to be quiet. Judai tilted his head to the side and looked away from the older boy, earning a loud huff. A pained grunt followed as Renamon smacked the side of Daiki's head. Placing his hand against the spot, the silver haired boy spun around and snapped at the fox. Judai and Dorumon watched as she made a witty reply, her arms folded. Soon the two were in a full blown argument, Daiki shouting and Renamon barely maintaining her composure. Judai covered his eyes with his hand. Dorumon let out a sigh and slid down to the ground, placing both of his paws on his head.

Judai groaned. "Why me?"

"Why _us_?" Dorumon corrected, peeking up at his partner.

"Didn't I tell you once not to lecture me?!"

"I wouldn't lecture you if you didn't act like a child."

"Excuse me? What seems to be the problem?"

Judai and Dorumon jumped, looking behind them. It took the other two a few moments to realize someone else had spoken. The group found themselves standing in the shadow of a rather tall, yellow teddy bear. Digging his Digivice out of his pocket, Judai scanned the giant Digimon.

"Monzaemon," he read aloud.

Monzaemon laughed. "That's my name, and fun is my game!"

"O…kay," Dorumon whispered.

"Now, is there any way I can help you?"

Renamon asked, "Could you help us navigate the city? We are looking for our friends."

With a grin, the bear nodded. "It would be my pleasure."

~0~

"Land ho!" Impmon exclaimed, flinging his arms up into the air. "First mate, steer us to shore!"

The four friends were currently navigating the ocean on the boat Wizardmon had prepared for them. Impmon had taken it upon himself to be the one to watch for land, leaving Salamon to roam around the ship. Mikami, on the other hand, was simply sitting with her back against the railing. At least she had been, until her partner decided to suddenly shout once again. Peeking open her eye, she glared.

"Stop acting like a pirate, you idiot!" She yelled, throwing the nearest object.

The imp narrowly dodged the projectile, grinning wildly.

"Aye-aye, Captain Impmon!" Yoko shouted, laughing.

"Yoko!" The fact that the younger girl was willing playing along just aggravated her even more than Impmon.

"Argh!" Salamon growled playfully, clearly aware of what Mikami thought of them at the moment.

"Don't encourage him! Please!"

"What's wrong, matey? Sufferin' from scurvy?"

"Ugh!" Mikami groaned, sliding her hand down her face. "Whatever, I give up. Play pirate."

The redheaded girl standing behind the wheel frowned and looked at the brunette. "Have a bit of fun."

"Can we _please_ just hurry up and dock?"

"Huh?" Impmon squinted, shielding his eyes with his hand. "Oh, hey. A dock."

"_Duh._ That's why I said that." Glancing over her shoulder at Yoko, Mikami pointed towards the dock. "That is the one Wizardmon mentioned, isn't it?"

"Pretty sure he said it was the only dock," Yoko replied.

"Double checking. Things aren't always the way people say it is."

"Yeah, I know."

Spinning the wheel, Yoko slowly shifted the wheel, angling it so that they floated closer. Once they closed it on the dock, she turned the boat and lined up the side of the boat with the end of the dock. Mikami carefully jumped off the side, rope in hand. She wrapped it around the dock post and then tied it in a knot. As soon as she was done, she gave the three a thumbs up. Impmon picked up Salamon and hopped down, followed by Yoko. The imp carefully set his friend down and smirked.

Impmon chuckled. "That was the best boat ride I ever had."

"That's the only boat ride you've had!" Salamon declared.

"Shut up. How do you know how to steer a boat anyways, Yoko?"

The redhead blushed somewhat. "My father is a fisherman. He taught me how to. You know, just in case something happened."

"Something as in—?"

Mikami cleared her throat, interrupting him. "Come on, we need to get going. The others are probably already at the city."

Yoko scooped up Salamon, smiling, and dashed past the brunette. "Race you!"

An exasperated mixture of a sigh and a grunt caused Mikami to look at Impmon. He glanced at her, earning a soft laugh from her.

"You heard her, Impmon. Let's go."

~0~

"Are we almost there?" Gabumon groaned.

"Do you _see_ a city anywhere?" Shizuka snapped in irritation, swinging her hand forward in the air in front of the group. "No? Then we _aren't_ almost there, so stop asking already!"

"Knock it off up there or I _will_ land," Birdramon ordered, tired of hearing the trio on her back arguing. "And you will _not_ like me afterwards!"

"Be quiet, birdbrain. No one asked you!"

"Shizuka, please stop."

"No one asked you either."

"Why in the world are you in such a rotten mood?"

"Are you PMSing?"

"Tadashi!"

"What? It's a possibility!"

"All of you be quiet!" Birdramon shouted. "I know it's been a long day but that's no reason for you to be arguing. You three aren't flying around carrying anyone!"

A brief moment of silence passed by before Shizuka softly muttered, "Sorry." Tadashi and Gabumon followed suit, just loud enough for the giant bird to hear. With a loud, clearly audible sigh of relief, the bird shifted her head to look back at them.

"See? Was that so hard?"

"Harder than you think…"

"_Shizuka._"

"Alright, alright…"

"On the bright side, I can see the city now."

"_Hngh._"

With no word of warning, Birdramon accelerated, causing Tadashi to nearly fall off. Shizuka wrapped her arm around him with another silent groan. Gabumon was hanging on for dear life, his face mimicking the expression of horror on his partner. She had to admit that it was pretty funny, seeing them so frightened by the sudden jolt. She had been expecting it, as Birdramon had done it a good few times before already. Maybe it was because it was something she would do.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," she said.

Tadashi managed a halfhearted glare. It was clear that he thought it was just as funny as she did. "I don't wear panties."

"You might as well."

"Says the one that wears them…"

"Excuse me? I wear _boxers._"

"What in the world are you two talking about now?" Birdramon asked.

"Human stuff. Don't worry about it," Shizuka replied, waving her hand even though the bird wouldn't be able to see the motion.

Gabumon muttered, "I don't want to know…," under his breath.

"Trust me, Gabumon, you really don't…"

"So, do they not have underwear here in the Digital World?"

"What kind of question is that?"

Grunting, Shizuka shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, enough, really. I don't even know how we got on this subject."

"Because you wear panties."

"_STOP._"

"Why?"

"Please, for the sake of all things good in the world!"

"'Kay."

The word was followed by not one but two screams of terror as Birdramon swooped downwards. The wind ruffled Shizuka's hair and made Tadashi's hair whip around into his face. A moment passed by before Birdramon's feet slammed into the ground. The abrupt halt made Tadashi go forward, landing on his chest while his chin hit Birdramon's back. The bird squawked in protest, twisting around to look at the boy. Huffing, she turned her attention to Gabumon. The poor reptile was shivering, still clutching on as if his life depended on it.

"We're on the ground, you know."

His head shot up. Within a few seconds he was leaping off her back and onto to the ground. Tadashi scrambled down after him, visibly grateful to be standing on the ground. Birdramon laughed, prompting Shizuka to join in.

"Boys, huh?"

"That's all that needs to be said."

Shizuka slid down, landing beside her brother.

"Come on, big boy. We gotta get rolling."

Moaning, he stood, dragging Gabumon up with him. Birdramon ruffled her wings, waiting for directions.

"Oh, uh, you can de-Digivolve if you want. I don't it'd be very easy to see the streets from up high. Looks like the buildings are kinda crowded."

Nodding, Birdramon let herself shift. Once she shrunk, Biyomon flitted over to Shizuka and perched on her shoulder. As she started heading for the city, her brother and Gabumon dashed after her.

"So we're just going to roam around the city aimlessly?" Tadashi asked.

"No. I'm not an idiot, Dashi. We're going to ask around, get some help figuring out where everyone else is."

"Hmm. Not a bad plan."

"And no splitting up."

"Agreed. We've seen what happens a few too many times…"

Biyomon lowered herself, getting comfortable. "You probably jinxed us."

Shizuka blinked. "Well, shit."

"Don't tell me you're superstitious enough to believe in jinxes?"

"I'm sorry, are you forgetting all the other times someone has said something and it ended up being true?"

"Coincidences."

"Sure, Sherlock. Sure."

"It just doesn't make sense. Why in the world would mentioning, say, getting separated make us get separated?"

"Because our group of friends has some of the _worst luck_ of anyone in the world?"

"You're exaggerating."

Tilting her head to the side, Shizuka cocked an eyebrow at him, earning a sigh of defeat. She grunted, very aware that she had won. That's when Tadashi and Gabumon stopped, both staring forward while clearly being tense. She looked forward to find herself looking at a giant, grinning Digimon just as its shadow fell on her.

"More visitors?"

~0~

The road from the dock to the city was yellow brick. Because of that fact, Yoko began to crack a series of jokes that was slowly but surely driving Mikami up the wall. Metaphorically speaking, that is, but she didn't know how long it would be until it was literal. Impmon, even though he didn't understand half of the references, found the jokes to be rather funny and burst out laughing every time Yoko told one. At that particular moment, Mikami had counted a total of fifteen or so puns.

"Hey, Mikami, are you the lion or the tin man?"

Impmon gave her a quizzical look.

"They're characters in the movie. The lion was a coward and the tin man wanted a heart."

"Wha—huh—a heart?" He asked, eyes wide.

"The scarecrow wanted a brain."

"What?!"

Salamon blinked, looking up at Yoko. "So he didn't have a brain to begin with?"

"Nope!"

"I'm surprised you watched that old thing," Mikami mumbled.

"Why?"

"It's a terrible movie, that's why. That and it's, what, forty years old?"

"Older, I think. Anyways, it's not that bad."

Mikami waved her off and instead checked to see how close they really were since she hadn't actually been paying attention. From the point when Yoko had been her series of puns, they had gotten quite a bit closer. If they sprinted, they'd get there pretty quickly…

"Wanna carry us the rest of the way?" Mikami asked.

"I told you the first time you asked if I could carry you three—no," Impmon replied. "You have no idea how tiring it can be when you're carrying one person for a length of time, let alone two people and another Digimon. This isn't life or death or anything like the Ice Zone."

"My feet hurt," Yoko moaned.

Impmon looked at her with a 'are you serious?' expression on his face. He then noticed that she was struggling not to smile, and he folded his arms.

"Seriously?"

"Had to."

"I don't think so."

"It _was_ funny," Salamon countered, clearly happy with the way the imp reacted.

"Hrmph!"

"Hey, let's race."

The three shifted their gazes to look at Mikami, who was looking at the city. She turned to glance at him, a glint in her eye. Impmon suddenly grinned. The idea peaked Yoko and Salamon's interests, and they looked at each other with a nod. All four of them took off running down the path, heading to the city. As they got closer, Yoko caught up and passed Mikami. By the time the three caught up with the redhead, she had already stopped just inside of the city. Impmon burst out laughing at the same time as Mikami, and Salamon giggled. Yoko simply stood there with a victorious smile on her face.

"Alright," Impmon gasped, "we should…probably get…goin'."

"Give me a minute," Mikami whispered, catching her breath. "Yoko, you're too adorable for your own good."

"Why, thank you!" Yoko said. "Now come on. We gotta find our friends!" She paused. "Again," she added with a chuckle.

Mikami strode past her, looking up at the sky. With how big this place was, finding the others was going to be one heck of an adventure. Impmon put his hands behind his head as he walked, tilting his head from left to right as he rambled on. Something was bothering Mikami, and it wasn't her partner's loud mouth. The city, despite its colorful appearance, felt dismal.

"Doesn't seem to be anyone around," Impmon commented, narrowing his eyes. "Weird."

"Yeah, that's one way to describe it," Mikami mumbled.

"Maybe they aren't here?"

"Well, we won't know till we look."

They kept walking, looking through building windows in hopes of seeing one of their friends, but almost all of them were strangely empty. If they could just find _someone_, even if it wasn't the others.

"I am _not_ looking through this entire city."

"That'd be a bad idea anyways, genius. Let's just look for anyone that we can talk to. Maybe they've seen Daiki and the others."

Impmon grumbled under his breath and folded his arms, admitting defeat.

Yoko frowned. "Maybe this is a ghost town."

"Or everyone's hiding," Salamon whispered.

"Why would they do that?"

"Just a thought."

That's when Salamon paused, ears twitching. Impmon appeared to hear whatever she was hearing, and soon both of the humans could as well. A thumping noise was slowly drawing closer to them. Mikami spun around, grabbing Yoko, who scooped up Salamon. Impmon dashed after them as the brunette dragged them into the nearest alley. They hid in the shadows, peeking out as they waited. A massive yellow Digimon stomped into view before stopping, turning to where they were hiding.

"Does he see us?" Mikami whispered.

"Does it matter?" Impmon replied. He stood up. "We should talk to him. Maybe he saw Renamon."

"Impmon, don't—! Argh," she groaned, hopping to her feet to rush after him. "Yoko, stay there!"

"But…"

Impmon walked right up to the Digimon, staring up at him. "Hey, big guy!"

The teddy bear looked down and offered a smile. "Why, hello there! I thought I heard someone. But why were you in the alley?"

"We—"

"We got lost," Mikami interjected, glaring at her partner.

"I see." Suddenly his demeanor changed. The smile fell from his face as he frowned. "But I'm afraid you'll have to stay."

A chill ran down Mikami's spine. Impmon recognized the tone of voice and began to back up. The giant Digimon flung his hands outwards, releasing several giant hearts. Impmon dodged, only to fall back into one of the hearts. Mikami tried to avoid them, but was caught by another.

"Mikami!" Yoko shouted, standing up.

"Run, Yoko!" Mikami yelled.

"I can't just leave you!" The redhead cried.

Salamon shook herself free of Yoko's grasp and dashed off, heading away from the bear. Yoko gasped and followed after her, glancing over her shoulder. The bear attempted to follow, but the alley was too narrow for him to fit into. Grumbling, he stomped off, the hearts carrying Mikami and Impmon floating after him. Yoko paused, trying to fight back to urge to run off after them. She was afraid she'd start crying. Of all the times for her to be alone…this had to be the worst possible time!

She wasn't alone. She had Salamon, she reminded herself.

"Psst! Hey! Yoko!"

She jumped, turning around to find a familiar face staring at her. Salamon was standing near the open door, looking at her partner expectantly. The redhead dashed over, tears prickling her eyes, and threw her arms around the boy's neck.

"I'm so glad to see you!" She cried.

"H-hey," Judai stuttered, blushing slightly. "Come on, don't cry. Please?"

She sniffled and wiped the tears away. "Sorry. I'm sorry."

"Come on, get inside," Judai whispered, ushering her and Salamon through the door. "Good thing you came down this alley, huh?"

"Where's Daiki? Weren't you with him?" Yoko asked.

The blonde rubbed the back of his head. "About that…Monzaemon found us, too, outside of the city. He said he was gonna help us, but…then he used that stupid heart attack of his." He lowered his head. "Got Dorumon, Daiki, and Renamon. I barely got away."

"I don't get it…why is Monzaemon doing this?"

"Wait…what does the attack do?"

"Um…besides trapping people? Makes them act all weird. I spotted Daiki after that and he was playing with a bunch of Toy Digimon." Judai stuck his tongue out. "I tried talking to him, but…ugh. Didn't go well."

"Isn't there something we can do?"

"Not that I know of."

Yoko sat down heavily into a nearby chair, putting her head in her hands. "This is great…"

"Hey, don't give up!" Placing his hands on her shoulders, Judai goaded her into looking at him. "We're figure out how to help them, and then we'll teach Monzaemon that he shouldn't be doing this kind of thing!"

"Any idea how we're gonna do that?"

"Well…I mean…"

"It's gonna be hard to find them by ourselves."

"We can do it! We've been through worst."

"I guess so."

"Just…um…look at it like it's our turn to be the heroes!" He grinned.

"Uh…" She giggled. "Alright. We'll be the heroes. Then we can brag to everyone about how we saved them."

Judai moved a hand to clench it into a fist and pump it into the air. "There! Now we're talking! You…are done crying, right?"

"Yeah." She fixed her hair. "Again, I'm really sorry for that."

"Hey, it's no problem." He scratched the back of his head again. "I guess we need to figure out what to do first. If it's okay with you, I'd like to find Dorumon."

"Fine by me. Just means we have a bit more firepower in case we're in a fight, right?" She jumped up to her feet and looked at Salamon and Judai. "So, you ready?"

"If you are."

Nodding, she walked up to the door and opened it. She peeked outside, checking to make sure the coast was clear. When she didn't see anyone, she gave the two waiting a thumbs up and walked outside. Salamon and Judai dashed after her, on the alert.

"When's the last time you saw him?" Yoko asked.

"Let's see…it was when Monzaemon attacked us, which was near the other side of the city."

"Yay, exploration."

"Was…was that sarcasm? From you?"

"I blame Impmon."

"Well, Mikami's to blame too."

"Can we just go?"

Yoko smiled and headed down the alley, careful to stick to one side. She poked her head around the corner, squinting. A few Toy Digimon were heading down the street a ways away from them, heading the opposite direction of them. She waved to the duo behind her and quickly crossed the street, stopping once on the other side. Judai and Salamon followed, eyeing the group that was slowly disappearing in the distance. The blonde let out the breath he was holding and followed Yoko as she made her way through the smaller side street.

"Shouldn't we be going the other way?"

"I'm trying to find a way through that's a bit safer," she said. "Y'know, so we're not just out in the open?"

"Oh. Huh," he laughed, "who would've thought you'd be doing this kind of thing?"

Curious, she looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"No offense, but you never would've done this back home."

"Nah, you're right. But…things change. Here in the Digital World, you gotta be more careful. We're just humans. We can't do much on our own." She smiled down at Salamon. "That's why we have partners in the first place. But we still need to get stronger." She twiddled her thumbs. "That's why I was so sorry about crying. I—we don't have time for that kind of thing."

Judai stared at her. She felt heat rising up to her cheeks.

"They grow up so fast," Judai said jokingly, pretending to wipe a tear away.

"Hey, I'm a year older than you!" She protested with a laugh.

Suddenly Salamon hissed, "Shh," prompting the two humans to close their mouths. Another Digimon had passed by the street. It walked away without noticing them.

"Okay, let's see…I think I got which direction I was going mixed up." Yoko pursed her lips. "Okay, never mind, got it. We need to go that way," she said, pointing to the left once they reached the next street. "Looks like one of the smaller ones. Don't think it's big enough for Monzaemon to fit, do you?"

"He wouldn't fit even if he was sideways," Judai laughed.

"Hey, look, the bricks are yellow."

"Don't you even," Salamon warned her, trotting ahead.

"What?"

"I was making Wizard of Oz jokes earlier. Impmon thought they were funny."

"Pffft."

They passed the time by talking about everything that had happened while they were away from each other. Yoko started by explaining how they had ended up more or less crash landing on File Island. She went on to explain how they had been able to get a boat to come to the Toy Zone: Meeting Wizardmon; defeating Ogremon; Mikami and Dobermon facing off with Angela and Devimon (for the second time); the town being on fire; Wizardmon having a boat be given to them. When Judai took his turn, Yoko found herself more interested than she thought she would be. Hearing about what happened between Judai and Daiki, as well as the attack on the village was fascinating. When he got to the part about how he had gotten trapped and Daiki nearly got flattened trying to help him made her gasp.

"Really?"

He nodded. "I even told him to forget about it, but he just kept trying." He sighed, though there was a smile on his face. "Good thing Dorugamon and Togemon got there when they did. We would've been toast."

"Sounds like you guys had a lot worse of a time than we did."

"Heh. Maybe. But it was a good thing it happened, as weird as that sounds. You should've heard how cheesy Daiki was."

"Daiki? Cheesy?" She snorted, trying not to laugh.

"Being serious here."

"Sorry."

"Yoko, Judai!" Salamon called.

They looked up to see Salamon waiting patiently for them by a street light. They headed up to her and followed her gaze.

"Hey!" Judai exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "But…" His shoulders drooped. "How're we gonna snap him out of it?"

Yoko put her finger against her chin. "I got an idea. Wait here."

"What are you gonna—okay then…" He muttered, watching her dash away.

"Don't bother," Salamon said.

_This is really mean of me,_ Yoko thought, walking up to Dorumon and the Digimon he was with. Her back-up plan was what was mean, in all reality. She checked her Digivice quickly to see what the names of the Digimon were. _Toy Agumon,_ she noted. Probably would be a good thing to remember that. They noticed her, Dorumon smiling widely at her. For all the time she had known him, it did seem just a hair out of character. Then again, she never had the chance to really talk to him, so she wasn't for sure.

"Yoko!"

She crouched down in front of Dorumon.

"You know, your partner is worried about you."

"Judai? He should come play!"

"Don't you think there's more important things to do?"

"Huh? Like what? Playing is always important!"

It was time to channel her inner Mikami! She frowned and flicked him in the forehead. _Sorry, but you're not really listening!_

"Ow!" Dorumon cried out, placing a paw on the spot.

"Hey, don't hurt our friend!" One of the Toy Agumon shouted.

"Back off!" She said. "He's _my_ friend's partner, and he belongs with him! Not you guys! Judai is worried about you, Dorumon, and so is Salamon. Not only that, but don't you want to see the others?"

"I'll see them. Monzaemon said—"

She flicked him again with a wince. _So sorry. Please don't make me do it again!_

"Stop it!"

"Then stop acting like this," she replied angrily, "and act like yourself!"

Dorumon shrank back while the Toy Agumon took a step towards her. Just then Judai and Salamon came running over, the small pup head butting the nearest toy in the chin. The Digimon staggered backwards, visibly surprised, and the others backed up a few paces. Dorumon stared at them in disbelief, clearly wondering why they weren't standing up for him. Was she right about them?

"Don't think I won't flick you again," Yoko warned. "You know I'm usually nice."

"Yeah, you usually are," Dorumon mumbled, looking down.

Judai kneeled in front of the purple Digimon and wrapped his arms around him. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"You have?"

"Of course! You're my friend," the blonde stated with a nod. "I'm sorry for taking so long, but I got turned around. This city is so big, and…"

Dorumon stared up at his partner with sad eyes. "No, I'm sorry for making you worry."

Judai grinned down at Dorumon, affectionately rubbing his head. "Don't do it to me again, okay!"

"Uh-huh!"

"And you three!" Yoko exclaimed, pointing at the trio of shaking Toy Agumon. "You should know that taking someone's friend isn't nice."

When they said nothing, Yoko stood up and watched as Dorumon nuzzled Judai. Salamon trotted up to them and brushed up against the other Digimon.

"Flicking someone in the forehead seems to work," Judai joked.

"Hey, I was just…" Yoko trailed off, blushing.

"Man, I never thought I'd be scared to make you mad! You were almost as bad as Mikami."

Her entire face seemed to turn red. Standing while still holding his partner, Judai shifted to free one hand to pull her into a hug.

"But it worked, so I can't complain. Let's go save our other friends."

~0~

They found Gabumon next.

It was a bit of a surprise. They were snooping through one of the buildings when they found him playing with building blocks in the middle of a room, all alone. Since being mean had worked once. Yoko strode up to the tower he was building. He had been surprised to see her, too, but was shocked when she flung her foot forward and kicked his tower down.

"My building! Why would you do that?"

"Because you," she said, emphasizing the word by poking him in the chest, "don't have time to be playing with blocks. You need to come with us to find everyone."

"But Mon—"

She poked him harder, earning a whine.

"Don't act like a baby," she said. _Gosh, this is hard to do without telling him sorry…he looks so sad._ "Snap out of it. Tadashi is who knows where in this city!"

"I…" Gabumon stopped, realization dawning on him. He shot up to his feet. "Tadashi! Oh, how could I forget about him like that?"

Yoko smiled. "Glad you're back. Let's find Tadashi, alright?"

~0~

Shizuka was next.

Even though they were looking for Tadashi, they ran into Shizuka instead. Literally. Yoko had been rounding the corner when the older girl came running, and the two collided. Yoko landed roughly on her rear and winced, rubbing her bottom. While Judai helped her back up, Shizuka laid on her back in a daze, staring up at the sky with her hand on her face. Eventually she screwed her eyes shut.

"_Ow._"

"Zuka!" Yoko said worriedly. "Are you okay?" She dashed over, offering her hand.

"Yoko? Ugh, what the heck?"

The redhead snorted loudly, which caused Judai to let a small laugh slip.

"What's so funny?" Shizuka asked, grabbing Yoko's hand. "You _broke my face!_"

Yoko doubled over, letting go of Shizuka once the girl was standing.

"You didn't even have to be mean to her," Salamon noted in interest.

Tilting her head to the side, Shizuka glowered at the group. "…Huh?"

The redhead was trying to stop laughing, holding her gut with one hand and holding the other out towards Shizuka. By then her laughs sounded more like wheezing than anything else.

"I-I'm sorry, just—just give me a s-second."

~0~

Unsurprisingly, they finally found Tadashi. Of course, he was tinkering with a toy helicopter. Shizuka put a hand against Yoko's shoulder to stop her from walking up to him. A wry smirk was on the other girl's face, promptly Yoko to step back. Anytime Shizuka got that look on her face meant something was going to happen and she didn't want to be in the crossfire. Shizuka strode up to her brother, causing him to look at her.

"Sis! Why don't you join me and—"

She raised her foot and stomped on the helicopter.

The look of horror on Tadashi's face was both comical and disheartening to Yoko, but she knew it was for the best. Tadashi stood up, suddenly angry, and stuck his face close to his sister's.

"Why'd you do that?!" He demanded.

She merely grinned, popping her knuckles. His eyes widened, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge the swing that came a few moments later. Soon enough he was sitting on the ground again, holding his cheek in his hand while scowling.

"That was a bit much!" Gabumon chided, hurrying to standing by his partner's side.

"Oh well," Shizuka replied, quite pleased with herself.

~0~

Renamon was hanging from a giant set of monkey bars. By her hind legs.

"That cannot be comfortable," Tadashi muttered, still holding his cheek.

"Is she sleeping?"

"Meditating, I think."

"Here, I got this one."

Yoko watched Judai position himself directly under the fox. She was too high for him to reach, even if he jumped, and he clearly wasn't going to climb up. He took in a deep breath, sucking in air until he couldn't anymore. Shizuka caught on pretty quick and covered her ears, which made everyone else do the same.

"**Renamon!**" Judai screamed.

The fox's eyes snapped open. Her grip on the bars faltered, and she landed directly on top of the poor blonde. He groaned, not bothering to move even when Renamon rolled off of him. She glared, annoyed, but noticed that Judai had yet to get back up. She scooted close to him and pulled him up to a sitting position. He rubbed his head, only for the fox to cuff him.

"What in the world made you think it was a good idea to screech like that?"

"Had to get your attention somehow," Shizuka said, snickering.

"Of course. However, that was a poorly conceived plan."

"It worked though."

~0~

"Ya-hoo!"

The group, excluding Renamon, stopped when they heard the shout. The fox barely raised her head when a shadow passed over her. Yoko's jaw dropped open when she saw Daiki leap back across the gap, barely landing on the building's roof. She was visible frightened, worried that he would fall and hurt himself. With a sigh, Renamon jumped upwards, going back and forth from one building to the other until she reached the top. She waited patiently for Daiki to reach the side she was on, and then grabbed him and forced him to sit down.

"I was having fun!"

Renamon smacked her paw against the back of his head. He wrapped his hands around to hold the spot where she hit him, wincing.

"What was that for?"

"I will do worse if you continue to act like a child."

"Yeah, like I want to be smacked by you again!"

~0~

As soon as Biyomon came into view, Shizuka was ecstatic. Before she got the chance to go up to her, Gabumon ran forward, waving his arms to get her attention. She flew circles around him before fluttering down and landing beside him. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug, squeezing her so tightly that she squawked in pain. He immediately dropped her, letting out a string of apologies while she rubbed her left wing.

"Did you have to squeeze me _that_ tightly?"

"I said I'm sorry!" Gabumon exclaimed, covering his face up. "I was just excited to see you!" He admitted, his voice muffled by his hands. "Oh, please forgive me. I didn't mean to…"

Shizuka walked over, carefully picking up her partner while smiling. "Hey. Looks like you were in the same boat as us, huh?"

"I can't really remember what exactly I was doing…"

"Trust me, none of us can really. Besides Yoko, Judai, and Salamon, but they didn't get hit by the hearts."

"Hey, reunion's over!" Daiki shouted. "We need to get a move on!"

~0~

"Light another on fire!"

"Yeah! Do that one!"

"Ya got it! Bada boom, baby!"

The voice was the first clue, but when a tree inexplicably combusted, it was certain who it was. They kept walking and looked around the corner to see what was going on. The purple imp they were looking for was flinging fireballs at anything that was combustible, earning cheers from the Toy Agumon standing behind him. The imp grinned widely, flicking a flame at a bush.

"What in the world?" Shizuka whispered.

"Stand aside," Renamon said, making her way around the group to stand within Impmon's view. "Impmon!"

The imp jumped, looking at her. "Oh, uh…hey…Renamon." The sheepish look on his face caused her to raise an eyebrow.

"What're you doing?"

"Uh…setting things on fire. Obviously." He walked over to her, hands behind his head. "What's up?"

"We were looking for you. Where is Mikami? Have you seen her?"

"Ah…"

"Impmon."

He flinched. "Don't get mad at me. You're scary as hell when you're mad at me."

"Is he not…?" Yoko didn't finish, but Tadashi understood what she meant, and he nodded.

"Explanation," Renamon growled.

Impmon fixed his gloves, and then noticed that the Toy Agumon he was hanging out with were coming closer. He waved them back.

"One of them accidently slammed me in the face when they were playing ball," he muttered.

"Where's Mikami, you dumbass?" Daiki demanded, walking up to him and ramming his fingertip into Impmon's forehead.

"She's o'er there," he muttered sadly.

He motioned with his hand to where the streets converged and led to what looked like a park. Daiki glared and headed off in the direction of the trees, forcing the others to follow. Renamon kneeled down to place a paw on the imp's shoulder.

"Impmon, what is wrong?"

"It's just…" He sighed. "You'll see. Let's follow them."

They caught up in time to see Daiki dash off into the trees. They followed him as he snapped branches that got in his way, clearly dead set on finding Mikami. He burst out of the tree line into a small opening. He stumbled, only for Judai and Yoko to run into him, causing all of them, along with Shizuka and Tadashi, to fall into a pile. The silver haired eighteen year old on the bottom slowly pushed them off until he was able to stand again. His eyes locked onto his target, but he froze.

"Mikami?"

The brunette's head turned to him, and she smiled widely. The small Digimon beside her hid behind her back, causing her to twist around to look at it. She whispered to it, and then focused her attention back on Daiki.

"Hi."

Good lord, he was getting emotional. The last time he had ended up without her, back home, she had gotten into a fight and…well, he didn't have to worry about her, did he? But he did. He rushed up to her, surprising her, and wrapped his arms around her, falling to his knees.

"I was so worried," he whispered.

"How come?"

He pulled back a bit and stared at her. "What? Why wouldn't I be? I haven't seen you since we were in the Ice Zone!"

"That doesn't sound like too much of a reason to worry."

"Wha…"

_That's right. Monzaemon. He got her, didn't he?_ Daiki swallowed, letting go of her and raising his left hand. He was gonna get the shit beat out of him.

"Sorry about this."

"Hmm?"

He swung. The sound that followed made him cringe, and he heard several gasps behind him, along with a curse directed at him from the imp. Mikami's head snapped to the side, and her hand immediately went up to touch her already red cheek. Daiki bit his lip, hoping he hadn't hit too hard.

"What the _hell_, Daiki Toriya?" Mikami roared, suddenly glaring at him.

He wrapped his arms around her for a split second until a fist slammed into his stomach. He let out a weak cough, grabbing his midsection and slowly curling in on himself.

"That's what'cha get, ya ass!" Impmon shouted.

"O-ow…," Daiki groaned, coughing again.

Mikami blinked. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry Daiki. I didn't mean to hit you _that_ hard, but…you did slap me…"

"D-didn't know…what else…to do…"

"Uh…"

Yoko dashed over, practically jumping onto Mikami. "I was so worried! You and Impmon got carried away, and…and…"

"Squish me, why don't ya," Mikami joked.

Renamon kneeled beside her partner, patting his back. He chuckled, though it was clear he still hurt.

"Mikami, you hit him too hard!" Yoko chastised, frowning at the brunette as she crouched to check on Daiki.

"Nah…I'm…okay."

"He _slapped_ me!"

"He was trying to help!"

"How does slapping me help anyone?!"

"He was—it was because—argh, would you please just listen for once?!" Yoko snapped.

The brunette recoiled, eyes wide, while Yoko's entire face turned bright red.

"Sorry," Yoko whispered, hiding her face.

Daiki pushed himself up and looked at the others, who had chosen to remain away from the argument. Not that he blamed them. He turned his gaze to Mikami, who was befuddled.

"I couldn't think of what to do to snap you out of it," he muttered, "so I slapped you. Sorry."

Mikami opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it again and kicked at a patch of grass.

"Lover's quarrel done?" Yoko asked.

"Yoko…"

"Up and at 'em," she said, helping Daiki to stand.

"If I didn't know better," he groaned, "I'd say I was hit by a wrecking ball."

"I…wait, can someone please tell me what's going on? What did you mean by 'snap you out of it'?"

"I'll explain later," Yoko said. "Go we just go? I wanna get out of this city already. Spending one day here was bad enough."

"What about Monzaemon?"

"What about me?"

"Wah!"

The trio turned around to see Monzaemon hovering over their friends. He reached down to grab them, but they scattered in time to avoid the massive paw.

"Monzaemon, no!" The little Digimon that had hidden itself reappeared directly behind Mikami's leg. "Please don't hurt them!"

"Koromon," the bear said. "What are you doing?"

"They didn't do anything to anyone!"

"They're trying to leave."

"You gotta stop this," Koromon said. "Keeping Digimon here against their will…it's not right!"

"What in the hell is going on here?" Shizuka asked. "Could we please just be told why you freaking hypnotized us? Or whatever that shit was?"

"I'm so sorry about all this," Koromon mumbled. "There's barely been any visitors since the Master came into power. Digimon who did come through talked about how bad things were. The Toy Zone has never had much trouble because most of us who live here are pretty peaceful," he explained, "and Monzaemon was devastated when he heard about what was going on outside of the Toy Zone. So he's been using his powers to keep Digimon here to keep them safe…but it's just wrong!"

The bear lowered his head slightly. "I'm trying to do what's right."

"Koromon is right, y'know," Judai said. "Yeah, you might be trying to protect them, but attacking them and forcing them to stay here isn't the way to do it."

"You can't just force people to do what you want," Yoko added. "That's no way to treat someone. Try talking them into staying instead. You might just make some new friends that way. The Digimon living here do look like they could use a few new friends, and not just someone who's been hit with your hearts."

Monzaemon bowed. "I hope you can forgive me."

"It's alright," Gabumon told him. "We all make mistakes."

"Some more than others," Impmon commented dryly, glancing at Daiki from the corner of his eye.

"Well, is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Know if there's a Dark Crystal anywhere?" Daiki asked, barely loud enough for the bear to hear.

"Hmm…there's one in the Dragon Zone, northeast of this city."

"Then that's where we're going," Mikami said. "Try not to forget about what we've said, okay? Take care of all the Digimon here."


	22. 21 - Force Your Way

"Man, this place is freaking ridiculous," Shizuka commented.

There was a grunt from Daiki. "Yeah, no kidding."

"It's making me tired…," followed, accompanied with a sigh.

"Hey, what you three waiting for? Come on!"

Snorting, Shizuka covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her laughter. "She is still pissed at you."

"She was talking to you two too, you know."

"I don't know about you, but I could basically hear the anger in her voice," Judai said.

"Just drop it already! I don't want to be reminded about it!"

"You were the one who slapped her. Just sayin'."

"You say that like I freakin' wanted to slap her!" Daiki roared, stopping in his tracks. "That what you think? Huh?"

Shizuka stopped, staring at the frustrated young man, who had mustered up a glare. Stuck in between them, Judai glanced at them back and forth, wondering what was going to happen. The two had gotten into arguments before back home, which quickly turned into fist fights. Ones that Daiki always lost. If the duo got into one of their usual fights, something told him it would not go well.

With a flippant sigh, Shizuka put one hand on her hip and waved the other. "No, that's not what I think."

"Then what do you think?"

"I think," she said, leaning forward to poke him roughly in the chest, "that you're taking it too hard. Listen, I get it. You hurt Mikami, and you feel guilty about it. I can't blame you; she our friend, and you care about her a lot."

"Yeah, well—"

"But," she interrupted him, "that doesn't mean that you should act the way you are. Being upset with yourself isn't going to fix the problem. Give her some space and some time. She'll cool off, and then you can talk to her. Just don't be a suck up."

His face burning, Daiki could feel the blush appearing on his face. Judai found himself laughing at the older male's face, but was quickly silenced by a glare.

"Seriously, if you three don't get a move on, I will drag you by your ears!"

"You only have two hands!" Shizuka replied.

"I _will_ find a way!"

"Jeez, she can be scary when she wants…"

Shizuka laughed. "You think she's scary?"

"You don't have to worry about her, do you?" Daiki muttered, annoyed. "She goes for low blows if she's mad enough."

"Really? Huh. Learn something every day."

Daiki shook his head, trying to ignore the amused girl. Ahead of them, Mikami, Tadashi, and Yoko were making their way up a series of small ledges that led up to the top of a rather steep hill. The brunette made it up first and helped Yoko to reach the top. Both girls leaned over to grab Tadashi's hands and drag him up. Renamon grabbed Salamon and Dorumon, leaping up to the top swiftly. Biyomon flitted up to the top, and watched as Dorumon and Impmon climbed to the top.

At least tried, in Dorumon's case. Judai was about to run ahead to help when Renamon jumped back down to carry him up.

A roar echoed through the valley. Most everyone covered their ears while Daiki glared up.

"That's the fifth freaking time in the past hour."

"It's called the Dragon Zone for a reason."

"Didn't think it would be this annoying though."

"Can't do much about it."

"Come on, grannies!" Mikami shouted. "Do I have to drag you up here?"

Daiki rubbed his right temple. "This is gonna a long day."

Placing a hand against his back, Shizuka roughly shoved him forward. Even though it annoyed him, Daiki knew they needed to pick up the pace, and jogged alongside the younger girl. He was quick to climb to the top, and spun around to offer Shizuka a hand. She smirked and took it, letting him pull her up. Mikami, arms folded, turned around to look to where they were heading. The valley widened near the bottom from the spot they were at while it curved inwards close to the top, offering nothing but a thin line of sunlight to filter through. The path split into two farther down, with one being even darker.

"Any idea which way we should go?" She asked Tadashi.

"Heh. No."

"You guys know?"

"Never been to the Dragon Zone," Impmon replied. "Don't think anyone else has."

"Fun."

Shizuka walked ahead. "Then let's take the right path," she said, raising her hands and pointing at Mikami as she turned around to look at the brunette.

"Not sure following you is a good idea."

"Could be worse. You could be following Impmon."

"_Hey!_"

Rolling her eyes with a smirk, Mikami motioned to the others as she headed after Shizuka. One by one the others followed until Daiki was standing alone, Renamon paused after a few steps in order to glance at her partner. He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, walking forward. The bipedal fox fell in step beside him. The group continue on down the path, which was slowly beginning to open up the farther they went. Eventually it led to an open ledge where they stopped, Yoko letting out an amazed gasp.

Open plains, tall rock pillars, valleys, and deep chasms were scattered across the view in front of them, accompanied by flowers, plants, and trees that seemed to be as tall as skyscrapers dotted the landscape. Three giant rivers, so large that they were visible from such a far distance, conjoined to form a gigantic lake. In the center of the lake sat a city larger than any other they had seen in their journey. For as far as the eye could see, Digimon roamed the ground and soared through the air.

"Amazing," Tadashi said softly.

"Looks like this as far as we can go this way," Mikami said.

"So, how come we can't ride on Birdramon?" Impmon asked.

"Do you not see the massive number of Digimon literally _everywhere_?" Biyomon replied.

"Heck, we can take them…" The skepticism was clear in his voice, though.

"Go ahead and try if you want, but I'm not bothering with it. There's too many. We're going down the left path."

Yoko stood there for a few moments longer, staring at the sight, until Daiki herded her to the others. They had stopped just in front of the tunnel, staring down the darkened path.

"If you ask me," Impmon mumbled, "going down this way is a worse idea. It's almost pitch black."

"Afraid of the dark?"

"_No_."

"Don't antagonize him, please," Biyomon whispered.

"Can any of you see in the dark?" Mikami asked.

"I can, to an extent," Renamon answered. "I will take the lead."

They made their way through the tunnel, though it was slow going. Various unseen obstacles halted their progress numerous times, and if it wasn't for Renamon, they most likely wouldn't have made it through. Once they began to reach the end, enough sunlight filtered through from the exit that they didn't have to rely on Renamon to warn them of rocks or sections they had to climb up. Yoko, Judai, and Dorumon ran ahead when the end was in sight, bursting out into the sunlight with a cheer.

"Sheesh, they make it sound like we haven't seen sunlight in years," Gabumon commented.

Shizuka shrugged. "They get excited."

Daiki snorted. "That's an understatement if I've ever heard one."

The sunlight nearly blinded them once they stepped out, Impmon covering his eyes with an annoyed shout.

"Holy crap, that is bright as hell!"

"It is not that bad," Renamon replied with deadpan expression.

"Says you! My eyes freaking hurt!"

The fox was about to reply when an earsplitting scream made her cover her ears. A shout came from Yoko, Judai, and Dorumon, who were ahead of them, and soon they came running back while screaming in fright.

"What the—holy shit!" Shizuka exclaimed.

Four Digimon were chasing them, and another smaller blue Digimon was running alongside them. They skidded to a halt as they reach their friends, Yoko nearly falling flat on her face before Mikami caught them.

"I hope you're happy!" The redhead shouted at the small Digimon.

"I'm sorry!" The little dragon cried out. "I didn't mean it!"

"Yeah! About time we got to fight!" Impmon said, running forward.

"Can't you ever wait for a few seconds?" Mikami asked with a groan, pulling out her Digivice.

The others grabbed their Digivices, and soon four of their Digimon partners were Digivolving into their Champion levels.

Dobermon tackled the Strikedramon, sending both himself and the humanoid tumbling head over heels. The dog landed on top, prompting the Strikedramon to kick Dobermon off. The hound was sent rolling away, but quickly recovered, scrambling to his feet. The humanoid hopped to his feet and leaped at Dobermon, spinning around to deliver a kick. Growling, Dobermon jumped out of the way, shooting off several fireballs. The attack hit, sending the humanoid flipping backwards. He landed on his feet, bent over, and looked up at the grinning dog.

"Smug, aren't you?"

"Hard not to be when I have such a weak opponent. Heck, that kick was _nothin'_."

Sneering, the Strikedramon launched himself at Dobermon. The dog simply smirked.

"Schwartz Strahl!" The black beam shot out of Dobermon's mouth, piercing the Strikedramon's chest. As the humanoid exploded, Dobermon absorbed his data. "Thought that'd be more fun."

Gatomon dodged out of the way of a clawed hand, dropping down so that her stomach was against the ground. The BlackGrowlmon changed his course of action, reaching down to grab her with his other hand. She shot forward and then leaped up into the air, punching the reptile in the jaw sharply. He stumbled back, holding his chin with a whine. The cat landed, her ears twitching as BlackGrowlmon let out a string of curses.

"No need to talk like that," Gatomon scolded him.

The reptile glared and spit fire towards her. She moved aside and ran towards him, avoiding more fire until she was right up on him. She lunged, her claws piercing his chest. He roared, swinging his hand at his chest. She dropped down, causing him to smack himself, and kicking him square in the stomach. As he began to topple over, Gatomon gathered energy to extend her claws. Just as he was almost on the ground, she landed on his chest and tore into him with the huge claws, effectively destroying him.

The cat fixed her gloves. "I guess you should've been more polite."

Garurumon rolled out of the way of a Monochromon, who charged at the wolf. Turning, the wolf lunged and bit into the dinosaur's tail. A roar followed as Garurumon slowly dragged Monochromon backwards. However, the dinosaur pulled his tail free and spun around to run at Garurumon. The wolf leaped up, kicking the dinosaur in the face with his back paws. A frustrated yell followed, but despite his attempt to snag the wolf's tail, Monochromon was unsuccessful.

"Stop moving and let me smash you!"

"Not gonna happen," Garurumon replied.

Annoyed, the Monochromon ran at him. Lowering himself, Garurumon built up flames in his mouth. When the massive dinosaur was a few feet from him, he released the stream of azure flames, which engulfed his enemies. However, the dinosaur burst out, slamming the wolf into the ground and pinning him. One foot was raised, poised to stomp on him, but Garurumon snapped his jaws around the dinosaur's neck, biting in as deeply as he could. Ice spread out from the wound, encasing most of Monochromon's upper body. The wolf kicked him off and released around bout of flames, shattering him.

A Devidramon charged Kyubimon from above, forcing the fox to jump out of the way. The demon landed and spun around, its tail lashing out towards her. Kyubimon hopped to the side, only for the tail to turn and shoot towards her. Growling, the fox moved at the last second and pinned the appendage down before cutting it off with her claws. Screeching, the Devidramon lunged, swiping its red claws at her. She ducked and dashed to the side, flaring her tails.

"Fox Tail Inferno!"

The flames exploded in the demon's face, causing him to attempt to wipe away the fire. Kyubimon ran forward, electricity sparking around her head, and rammed her head into Devidramon. With the creature momentarily stunned, Kyubimon bit into his arm and tossed him aside. He slammed into a rock, but got back up with seconds in order to reach towards her with both hands. The fox ran forward and jumped into the air, spinning around and gathering blue flames are her. A fiery dragon emerged from the flames, wrapping around Devidramon and annihilating him.

The four Digimon let themselves revert back to their Rookie forms and rejoined their friends. Yoko scooped up Salamon, hugging her tightly.

"Finally," Tadashi said with a sigh. "That seemed to take forever."

"You," Mikami grunted, staring at the small blue dragon that was still cowering near a rock. "Explain yourself."

"I-I'm so sorry about that," the dragon stuttered. "I didn't know anyone was around here, I swear. I just—"

"Why were they chasing you?" Renamon asked.

"Um…because I was trying to steal food," he whispered. "Ever since Ginryumon and his forces came here, any Digimon that doesn't cooperate gets targeted. The group I'm with has been trying to free the zone of Ginryumon's rule, but…we're not strong enough. And we were running out of food, so I was trying to get some…"

Impmon scratched the back of the head. "Damn. Sorry to hear about that, bud. Typical, though. Can't ever stand anyone who stands up to 'em."

"Sounds like they need to be knocked down a few pegs," Shizuka said.

"No kidding." Mikami looked down at the dragon and crouched. "We'd be happy to help."

Red eyes sparkling, the dragon let his mouth drop open. "Really?"

"Really."

"Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!" He exclaimed, hugging the surprised brunette. "My name is Dracomon. You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"Sure we don't," Daiki muttered, earning a glare from Mikami.

"Alright. Take us to your friends."

"Okay. Just follow me! This place is a bit hard to get around if you've never been here before."

"Really? Here I thought it was easy," Shizuka whispered, causing Daiki to smirk.

"Our base is that way," Dracomon continued, pointing to the northwest. "It's underground, so I hope none of you are claustrophobic or anything, 'cause the passage is a bit small."

"They'll have to deal with it."

"Heh. Make sure you follow me closely, okay? It's really easy to get lost. There's all kinds of different paths, twists and turns, valleys and other stuff. You could end up on the other side of the zone without realizing it!"

"I doubt that," Daiki muttered under his breath.

~0~

"Can we stop for a bit? I'm getting tired," Yoko asked with a groan.

"Seriously? We came all the way from the Toy Zone and now you're tired?" Impmon shook his head.

"Impmon, shut up. No one asked you to be an ass," Mikami said, smacking the back of the imp's head. "Dracomon, is there anywhere we can rest?"

"You bet there is! There's tons of places along the paths. Mostly use them for hiding, y'know, 'cause of Ginryumon's forces, but there nice to rest in. See that big boulder over there?" The little dragon pointed to it, indicating the one that was against the rock wall. "It's not really a boulder, just a big thing of metal made to look like one. We can push it to the side, get into the cave, and pull it close from the inside. Easy peasy."

"How heavy is it?"

"Um…a bit heavy, but we can all—hey, where you going?" Dracomon protested, watching Daiki and Shizuka stroll over to the metal door. "There's no way you can move that thing by yourselves."

They both waved him off and took positions on either side. Shizuka pushed while Daiki pulled, and it didn't take long for them to have it moved enough to everyone to get inside. Everyone slowly entered, Mikami shooting a displeased look at Daiki as she went inside. He threw up his arms with an exasperated sigh, and Shizuka gave him a sympathetic look.

"There is no pleasing her!" He growled angrily, kicking the metal door.

"Daiki, don't do that. You'll attract attention and I don't want another battle for a while."

"Tell that to her," he replied, motioning forward as they headed inside. Luckily the brunette in question was sitting against the far side of the wall.

"Getting mad about _her_ being mad isn't gonna fix things."

"But why in the heck is she pissed off by me opening a freaking door!"

Shizuka shrugged, helping him to slide the metal back into position. The cave dimmed considerably, but various lamps attached to the walls kept the space lit. The purple-haired girl turned to look at Daiki, placing her hand against the wall while leaning to the side.

"Like I would know. I can't read her mind, y'know. Just try not to piss her off too much."

"Hard not to piss her off when I don't know what's gonna make her go off."

"Just _try_," Shizuka repeated. "You're all gonna make me go nuts," she whispered, sitting down.

Mikami watched the duo with a frown, her cheek resting against her palm, until Yoko sat down beside her. Turning, the brunette looked at her, wonderin why she had such a strange expression on her face. The redhead cleared her throat, twiddling her thumbs.

"Hey, um…can you please just forgive Daiki already?"

"No."

"May I inquire as to why you refuse to acknowledge the fact that he is sorry?" Renamon asked.

Impmon glanced at them from the corner of his eye. "Her pride has been hurt. Kinda obvious."

"My pride has nothing to do with it," she objected.

"Sure it doesn't," the imp said. "Listen, I get it, but it's kinda stupid."

"Looks who's talking."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Somebody hurts your pride and you act like a baby about it."

Impmon glowered. "Hey, I didn't insult you."

"Really."

She clearly thought otherwise, causing the imp to stand up with a huff.

"Whatever. I'm done talkin' to you."

"Proving my point," she told him as he stomped off to sit with Salamon and Dorumon.

"That…was uncalled for," Yoko sighed. "I think this is making me more tired than walking was…," she mumbled, standing up and walking away.

"Your group seems a bit…" Dracomon trailed off, looking at the expression on Yoko's face.

"We're usually not this bad," she said with a slight smile. "Usually…" She sat down beside him.

"Aw, cheer up! Me and my friends get into arguments all the time."

"That doesn't help."

"Sorry."

"No, it's not your fault." She rested her head against the wall. "Thanks for trying."

"Have they always been like that?"

"Not really. We've all been stressed out since coming to the Digital World. With everything that's happened so far, well, it's not surprising."

"What's it like? Your world? There's all kinds of stories and legends, but most Digimon never believed it was real."

"Earth has legends about it?" She asked with a laugh. "Never thought I'd hear that. Earth is pretty boring compared to here."

"Really?"

"Oh, you bet. We have to go to school for most of the year, and there isn't too much to do during summer vacation."

"School? Summer vacation?"

"Ah…it's hard to explain. School is a place where you go to learn about stuff. You don't have schools here?"

"We have something like it, but we don't call them schools."

"Huh. Maybe here and Earth aren't as different as I thought."

The few moments of quiet that followed were interrupted when Mikami shouted, "Hey, you all rested up?" Murmurs and mutters of affirmation followed while everyone began to stand up. Dragging herself up, Yoko stretched, and then found Mikami standing right in front of her.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah," the redhead answered. "We should get going."

~0~

"Alright, here we are!"

Staring, Tadashi thought the dragon was joking. In front of them was nothing but a crack in the rock of a dead-end. Surely this couldn't be the entrance to the path that Dracomon was talking about? It was barely big enough for Daiki to fit into, if the eighteen year-old even could. The small dragon turned around and grinned sheepishly, pawing at his horns. There was a look of disbelief on Impmon's face, and a glint in his eyes that warned he was getting annoyed.

"Like I said, it's a tight fit, but a few feet in it widens up. It's a safety precaution."

"Will I even be able to get in that?" Daiki asked with a hint of skepticism.

"Sure! Just turn sideways. Uh…I think."

"You…think."

"Lay off him," Mikami said. "Only thing to do is try."

Dracomon nodded and dashed into the crack, being small enough to where he could fit without turning. Salamon and Dorumon followed, and Biyomon walked through. Yoko, pulling Judai along, headed into the crack after their partners. Renamon momentarily glanced down at Impmon before shifting sideways and sliding inside. Impmon, grumbling under his breath, did the same. Soon enough the only two not making their way through were Mikami and Daiki.

"Since we're alone for a bit," Daiki said, "I wanted to say that if you want to hit me again, you can."

She scowled. "Think that's gonna make it up to me?"

"No. Just saying that if you wanted to, you could." He ruffled his hair a bit. "Heck knows I should've thought of something else. Since I don't know what you want from me, I figured I'd offer."

She scoffed. "We're gonna get left behind." With that said, she slid her way into the rock.

"I tried," the teenager muttered to himself in disappointment.

He turned sideways and carefully maneuvered his way in, trying his best not to get stuck as he made his way through. It seemed like an eternity when he finally popped out into the tunnel, where everyone else was waiting.

"What took ya so long?" Impmon asked with a smirk.

"Nothing _you_ need to know about." That earned a partial glare from the imp, who turned away.

"Kay, fair warning, when we get to the base you guys just might get bombarded with a lot of questions," Dracomon stated.

Judai blinked. "Why?"

"Unlike most of the other zones, tons of stories about Earth are passed down. Almost every Digimon here has heard them."

"Why would there be stories?"

"Haha, good question! Never found that out. Might be a good idea to ask the elder sometime." Dracomon spun around, dashing off. "Let's go!"

They trudged on, making their way through the dimly lit tunnel as they trailed after the small dragon. It took some ten minutes for them to reach the end, which was marked by a giant metal door. The sight surprised Tadashi, who thought that the "base" would be a crudely crafted location. Dracomon disappeared behind a rock for a moment, during which a loud _'click'_ could be hear. He poked his head up over the rock and moved to stand in front of the slowly opening door.

The group was greeted by a few dozen shouting Digimon, all of whom appeared to be in their Fresh and In-Training stages. Dracomon was quickly surrounded by excited and happy Digimon. He laughed and attempted to calm them down, though he had to point to the humans and their partners to do so.

"I found some help."

"Are those humans?" One asked, mouth agape.

"They look so strange!"

"You guys are the DigiDestined, right?"

Just as Dracomon have predicted, the small Digimon asked question after question as the group made their way into the building. The door closed with a bang behind them, startling Yoko and Judai. Dracomon showed them into another room, telling them to sit down as he left to go find someone. Shizuka covered her face with her hand, listening to the sounds of all the young Digimon in the other room. Renamon looked less than pleased as well, her ears lowered.

"Could they be any louder?" Shizuka hissed.

Sitting on the far side of the room, Impmon raised his head. "Please don't jinx us."

"Probably too late for that."

"Don't even say that…"

The door opened, and Dracomon, along with another Digimon, hurried inside. Dracomon closed the door, cutting off some of the sound.

"Sorry about them being so excited," Dracomon said. "Trying to get them calm is impossible. Anyways, this is Baromon."

The green robed Digimon bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, DigiDestined. Dracomon told me that you agreed to help us."

"Yep," Mikami said, sitting up. "Though we need to know how we can help. Besides deleting Ginryumon, that is."

"Defeating Ginryumon will not free us. He has loyal followers who would rise up to take his place."

"How many are we talking about who could?" Tadashi asked.

"Five in total."

The group exchanged glances with their partners. Tapping her foot on the ground, Renamon raised her head enough to look at the others.

"That is good."

"Huh? Why?" Impmon asked, looking at her.

"Six main targets."

"Basically, one of us takes out Ginryumon and the others beat those five," Biyomon explained.

"I knew that," the imp muttered.

Mikami couldn't help but roll her eyes at her partner. "We'll figure out the finer details once we get into the city. We just need a guide."

"You've got one," Dracomon stated with a grin. "I know every inch of the city."

"We should figure out what we're gonna do now," Daiki said. Despite the look he received from Mikami, we continued. "Having a plan now is better than rushing in and having things go terribly wrong. That's one thing I've learned from all the crap we've been through. Baromon, what information do you have about those five Digimon?"

"I am afraid that I do not know much about them, but I do know their names: Arresterdramon, Cyclonemon, Saberdramon, Dinohumon, and DexDorugamon."

Dorumon froze upon hearing the last name, and Judai looked down at him in concern.

"All five of them are powerful, Arresterdramon being the strongest. To what extent their powers are, I do not know, as I have only heard stories of their strength. Of course, they are weaker than Ginryumon."

Tadashi wrinkled his nose. "Well, if Ginryumon is the strongest overall, then either Mikami and Impmon or Daiki and Renamon should fight him, and the other go after Arresterdramon. How would you rank the other four based on strength from what you've heard?"

"Hmm…Cyclonemon, Dinohumon, DexDorugamon, and then Saberdramon."

"Salamon and I can fight Saberdramon," Yoko said, blushing.

Shizuka folded her arms, "Cyclonemon is ours."

Tadashi looked at Judai. "I think it would be best if you—"

"DexDorugamon," Dorumon said.

"Really?" Judai whispered, looking at his partner. The small Digimon nodded. "Alright. Then we're gonna take him."

Tadashi nodded. "Well, that leaves you two. Do you know who's gonna fight who?"

"Impmon and I—"

"We're taking Ginryumon," Daiki declared, standing. Renamon glanced at him, a slight smirk on her face.

"I don't think so," Mikami replied, getting to her feet.

"Come on guys, does it matter?" Impmon asked, only to shut his mouth when Mikami glared at him.

His patience wearing thin, Daiki walked over to the door. "Guess what? I'm not debating it. Dracomon, we're going on."

"You can't just-!" Mikami growled, only to stop when Renamon placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Trust him," the fox whispered. "And if you won't trust him, then trust me."

"Are you sure about this?"

The fox nodded her head. "Yes."

"…Fine."

Chuckling slightly, Renamon joined her partner and the anxious Dracomon. Mikami motioned to the others, and they followed.

Dracomon led them through the base and to another tunnel. They made their through it, eager and ready to battle, but taking enough time to plan what they were going to do. Renamon was alongside her partner, eyes forward.

"You got something to say?" Daiki asked.

"No. I very much agree with your decision." She paused. "We must be careful, though, if we wish to make it back."

"You're as perceptive as always. Think it'll work out?"

"Always does in the end, does it not."

"Maybe you've got a point."

When they reached another door they slowed, letting Dracomon open it.

"Okay, obviously I'm not gonna be able to show all of you where to go. But, the house this door leads into is where we store a lot of stuff. We've gotta plenty of extra maps, so I hope you know how to read one. Just be _really_ careful. The city is full of Digimon that'll fight you if they know you're not on their side. I'll be taking Daiki and Renamon to the city hall in center of the city since it's harder to get there."

They filtered into the room, waiting for Dracomon as he dashed off. He returned and handed the humans their maps, quickly explaining what was what and the best routes to follow. The dragon ushered them upstairs and turned to Daiki as soon as they were gone.

"You're gonna have to follow me, 'cause it's really easy to get lost once you start getting farther into the city. And it's super easy to get caught near the city hall."

"I believe you."

"That means no attempting to deviate or do as you wish," Renamon stated.

"I know," Daiki grumbled. "How long will it take to get there?"

"Depends on how fast we go. If we go fast, maybe an hour. If it's slow going, could be much longer."

"Then let's get a move on. The quicker we defeat Ginryumon, the quicker we can set this zone straight."

"Thanks again for all this. It must be troublesome to have to do this kind of stuff."

Daiki kneeled, placing a hand on the dragon's head. "Listen, Dracomon. We're the DigiDestined for a reason. Helping this world is what we're supposed to do, and it's the right thing to do."

"You guys are so cool," Dracomon whispered, causing Daiki to laugh.

"Don't get your hopes up," Renamon said. Daiki shot her a glare, only to realize that she was joking.

"Alright! To the city hall we go," Dracomon said, dashing up the stairs. "Come on!"

"Wait up!" Daiki yelled, running after the dragon. "Ready and raring to go, isn't he?"

"Who can blame him? This is his chance to save his home and his friends."

The trio burst out into a street where they could see a few Digimon walking past. No one paid any attention to them, going about their business. That made Daiki wonder why they weren't surprised by the sight of a human. There was no way that they were used to it considering that there were only five other humans there. Were they just so disconnected that they didn't notice? Or did they just not care? His attention was grabbed by Dracomon, who shouted his name and waved at him from down the street. He didn't even want to know how the dragon had gone that far in the span of a few seconds.

Daiki and Renamon hopped down the steps. Navigating the city through the sea of Digimon was going to be fun. They stuck close to the wall, steadily making their way over to the waiting dragon. Once they reached him, they could see that he was pulling a piece of round metal up and off to the side. Daiki had a sneaking suspicion of what it was.

"The aqueducts are the easiest way to get through the city and get close to city hall," Dracomon stated.

"Why do you have lead us through?"

"'Cause the aqueducts are hard to navigate. Trust me."

Once the lid was off, he climbed down. With no other choice, Daiki and Renamon did the same. The boy grabbed the lid and pulled it closed. He let go and dropped down once he was a few feet from the floor. Dracomon and Renamon were already standing at the corner of the path, the fox watching the flow of the water.

"Might as well be sewers," he whispered, walking up to them.

Dracomon turned to his right and began walking. "Do _not_ fall into the water. It'll sweep you away so fast that you won't know what hit you."

"Thanks for that image."

"No need to worry, Daiki. I would catch you if you fell," Renamon said.

"I'm sure you would."

"What do you know about Ginryumon?"

"Besides the fact that he's scary strong?" Dracomon replied. "Not much, honestly. I never got the chance to see him in action, and I'm kinda glad. Baromon faced him in a fight and barely escaped alive. He even said the only reason he survived was because Ginryumon happened to get distracted by something." The dragon shuddered.

"Well, you don't have to worry, because we'll finish him," Daiki said. "I promise you that."

Dracomon grinned at him.

"How exactly will this lead to city hall, by the way?"

"There's spots where bridges connect the paths. It's safer than jumping across, because if we did that, well…hehe. But city hall, just like most of the other buildings, is connected to these waterways."

"We will end up inside city hall?"

"Yep. Getting through city hall to Ginryumon? That's a whole 'nother story."

"Nothing that we can't handle."

The dragon's tail twitched. "I want to help you guys more than just being a guide though."

"Like how?"

"Fighting with you! I don't want to stand on the sidelines and make you guys do everything! This is my home, you know. I'm tired of running away."

"No offense, but you're just a Rookie. I don't think—"

Beside him, Renamon roughly cleared her throat, cutting him off. She grabbed his shoulder, stopping him mid-step, and leaned over to whisper in his ear. His eyebrows raised as he listened, and by the time she pulled away, he was grinning. The male punched his fist into his open palm, startling Dracomon. It was clear the dragon was curious about what the fox told him.

"That'll work, I think. Alright, Dracomon, listen up. I'm only gonna say this once."

~0~

"It's the right."

"It's the left, you idiot."

"The right! See?"

"Can you not read at all? Look, we're here. Arresterdramon's station is there. Going to the right would take even longer."

"…Oh."

An infuriated sigh came from Mikami as they walked through the alleyway. Normally Impmon's denseness wouldn't bother her, but she was frustrated enough without him arguing with her. If it hadn't been for Daiki and his nonsense…just thinking about him made her angry! It wasn't even about the stupid slap! Yeah, she had been mad about it right after it happened, but she had gotten over that. No, it was because he thought she was still mad about it. That, and she felt ridiculous for punching him in the stomach, and was taking her anger towards herself out on him…but she would never admit that.

"Oi, pay attention," Impmon snapped, smacking her hand.

"I am paying attention." She turned left. "Could this city be any freaking bigger?"

"I wouldn't say that. Knowing our luck, the city might magically double in size."

"Shut up."

"Yeah." He scrunched up his face. "What's your home like?"

"A lot like this city," she answered, chuckling. "Not as confusing though. My city's got street names. Wish this place did."

"Street names?"

"It's stupid."

"Place doesn't sound too bad, if it's better than here."

"You'll get to see it someday, I'm sure."

They stopped at the end of the alley, staying in the shadows while looking up at the tower in the distance.

"That's it, isn't it?"

"Looks like it."

"We still gotta way to go…"

"Yep."

Impmon walked out, weaving through the crowd. Folding the map in half, Mikami followed him, refusing to look at anyone who bumped into her. She had a mission, and she was going to see it through. Then she was gonna chew Daiki out, because he was being ridiculous by taking on Ginryumon.

But…she had wanted to, so she really wasn't one to talk.

"Shit," she muttered, running a hand through her hair.

She took off running, tapping Impmon on the back as she did so. He might've been less than half her size, but he was able to keep up well enough.

~0~

"I was not expecting to be the one to go to the opposite side of the city."

"Well, I could always Digivolve and carry you."

"That's tempting," Tadashi said. "Probably wouldn't be a good idea."

"It would be faster though," the reptile pointed out.

The boy sighed, shaking his head while placing his palm against his forehead. "I know that I am going to sincerely regret this, but we shouldn't. We would draw unnecessary attention, which could lead to disastrous results."

"You're right." Gabumon exhaled noisily. "How do you think the others are doing?"

"They'll most likely reach their destinations before us."

"Didn't Dracomon say something about city hall being hard to reach? We might get to Dinohumon before Daiki and Renamon get to city hall."

"I suppose it's possible, but I doubt it. At any rate, we need to have a plan for when we face Dinohumon." He pulled out his Digivice and looked at it. "Hmm…display information on Dinohumon," he said with a hint of uncertainty; he had never tried to have the device search for information regarding a Digimon he had not seen. When the screen projected the file on the Digimon, he found himself pleased. "He appears to be a close combat fighter. That works in our favor."

"Can I see?" Gabumon asked. Tadashi lowered the device enough for the reptile to see. "Oh, wow. Those are some big swords."

"No worries. You'll be fine if you keep your distance."

"_You_ sound worried."

"Hmm? I guess I am, but not about us."

"Then who are you worried about?"

Swiping his bangs from his eyesight, Tadashi glanced over his shoulder. "Judai and Dorumon."

"Huh? Why?"

"Something about the way Dorumon reacted when hearing DexDorugamon's name." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sure it's nothing and that I'm worrying for no reason."

~0~

"…I didn't think we'd get here so quickly…"

Salamon, who had been peeking out from the alley, backed up a few steps and looked at her partner. "It wasn't far from the building, you know," she said.

The redhead was fidgeting, rubbing her arm. "Yeah, but…"

"What's wrong?" Salamon asked quietly. "You haven't acted like this in a while."

"I don't know…Maybe it's because of the fact that this is the first time it's been just you and me." Yoko laughed softly. "Don't worry about me. Let's go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. We can't just not fight because I'm uncomfortable," the girl muttered. "Let's do it."

The pup ran across the street, heading for an alley closer to the tower. Yoko followed, and they made it before any of the guards turned in their direction. While Salamon watched the guards, Yoko grabbed her Digivice. All they had to do was get through the guards and head up to the tower. Then they'd fight Saberdramon. It sounded easy, but Yoko knew it wasn't going to be. The duo hadn't fought any hard battles by themselves, and the thought of losing worried Yoko to no end.

"We'll win. Don't worry," Salamon whispered.

Yoko nodded. "Of course we will." _I hope_, she added silently. The screen of the Digivice glowed as Salamon scooted closer to her.

"Salamon Digivolve to…Gatomon!"

The cat dashed out into the street and headed straight for the guards, leaving Yoko only a few seconds to catch up with her. Leaping into the air, Gatomon kicked one of the Devidramon in the head. When the other lunged towards her, she pushed off, causing the first guard to topple over, and nailed the other in the face with her fist. He collapsed on top of his ally, and Gatomon landed near the tower door. She dusted off her gloves.

"That was strangely easy."

"They weren't nearly as strong as that one Kyubimon fought earlier," Gatomon said, waving off her partner's concern. "Stand back."

Once the redhead had moved away, Gatomon kicked the door inward, snapping one of the hinges off in the process.

"That's a lot of stairs."

Gatomon grinned at her. "Not as bad as Block City."

Though she couldn't help but smile, she faked a shudder. "Don't."

She followed the cat as Gatomon began rushing up the stairs. The higher they went, the more anxious Yoko began to feel. Trying to calm herself, she thought back to the conversation she had with Judai in Block City. While caution was a good thing, fretting too much over something wasn't a good idea, warranted or not. She really did need to take her own advice; how could she expect to be strong when she doubted herself? She was even doubting her partner, who had never once let her down. The cat believed in her, so she needed to believe in herself!

_We can do this,_ she thought to herself.

Gatomon slowed once they reached the top of the tower. Yoko, who was still climbing, could see the cat simply standing there.

"What's wro…?" She trailed off, staring.

A deep voice boomed, "Welcome," which was followed by the flapping of wings. "I was wondering who dared to climb my tower."

"He looks like Birdramon," Yoko whispered, "but…black."

"You're Saberdramon, aren't you?" Gatomon asked, stepping forward. "We're here to fight you!"

"Oh?" The bird let out a cackling laugh that made Yoko cringe. "Do you really think a runt and a puny human can beat me?"

"You would be surprised," the cat stated defiantly. "I may be small, but I'm stronger than I look."

"Somehow I doubt that," Saberdramon replied dismissively. "I'm going to be nice and give you a chance to leave."

Folding her arms, Gatomon glared. "That isn't going to happen."

"Good," the bird hissed, "because I was wanting to kill someone today."

Yoko inhaled sharply, suddenly afraid for her partner. With a loud caw, Saberdramon quickly ascended, sending out a gust of wind that nearly made Yoko topple over. A burst of flames sped from the bird's mouth, but Gatomon quickly hopped to the side. Having missed its mark, the fire splattered against the stone. The cat ran off, avoiding flaming orbs that rained down from above. By the time Saberdramon stopped, scorch marks were scattered across the stone. The bird let out a frustrated squawk, glaring down at the cat.

He spread his wings out and then flapped. Feathers burning a bright amethyst shot out, forcing Gatomon to dance around to keep from getting hit. The sharp feathers buried themselves halfway into the stone. Eyes widening, Yoko turned her gaze to her partner. The cat lithely jumped and stepped out of the way, further frustrating Saberdramon. The number of feathers increased, making it difficult for Gatomon to avoid them.

A yowl made the redhead jump, and she found herself watching Gatomon hit the floor. The cat got up onto one knee and reached down, placing her paw near the plumage that was sticking out of her leg. Glancing up, Yoko felt her heart clench at the sight of Saberdramon preparing another round. She swallowed and ran forward, grabbing Gatomon as she did so. She was fast enough to keep ahead of the attack until she stumbled. Pain flared in her leg as a feather cut her calf.

The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, partially on top of Gatomon. Wincing, she slid off of the cat, who stared at her. A stinging sensation ran up her leg as Yoko twisted around to look at it. It was pretty deep, all things considered.

"Yoko! Are you okay?" Gatomon asked. "What were you thinking?"

"I couldn't just let my partner get beat."

"How sickening," Saberdramon growled. "Prepare to say goodbye!"

He swooped down, heading right for them even as Yoko halfway sat up. When Gatomon stood, Yoko glanced at her, only to see a furious expression of her face that caused a chill to run up her spine. Right as the bird was on top of them, the cat leapt into the air, swinging her fist with an enrage shout. The punch hit Saberdramon square in the jaw, halting his progress. She dropped down and then sprang forward. Her claws slashed through one of the bird's legs, earning a screech.

"No one," the cat hissed, "hurts my partner."

Saberdramon landed shakily on the ground and then turned, preparing to attack. Yoko watched as energy surrounded the cat's claws, extending them. As Saberdramon charged, Gatomon dived down, avoiding the bite, and then jumped upwards. Her claws sliced through the bird's neck with ease, beheading him, and she landed behind him seconds before he shattered. She absorbed his data, feeling particularly satisfied.

When she looked up, she found Yoko staring at her with a horrified expression.

"Yoko—"

"No," the redhead said quickly, causing the cat to recoil. "It's okay, really."

Shaking, she pushed herself to her feet, only to grimace when trying to put weight on her injured leg. Concerned, Gatomon rushed up to her and carefully grabbed her leg so as not to hurt her partner. Narrowing her eyes, the cat closely examined the wound.

"It's gonna be hard to get down the stairs," Yoko joked.

Gatomon huffed. "You shouldn't be joking about this! This doesn't look good at all!"

"I can just slide down the steps, you know. It's not that bad."

"Yoko," the cat groaned, rolling her eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Yoko simply smiled. "Because you're not one to talk right now. I can see the way you're standing."

~0~

"Dorumon, why do you want to fight DexDorugamon?" Judai asked again. The small purple Digimon had yet to answer him, and he was beginning to worry. He had a feeling he knew the answer, but still, he wanted to hear it from Dorumon.

"I just want to know."

"Know what?"

"I…I'm not sure…"

"Come on…you don't really think he's anything like you, do you?"

"No, but…"

The blond rubbed his head. "Can't rest until you know for sure, huh?"

Dorumon nodded quickly.

"Alright, well, it's not like I can really do anything about it. We gotta face him anyways…No matter what he's like, you gotta keep you're guard up, 'kay?"

"I know."

In front of them was the building that had been marked on their map. Judai was surprised to see that there weren't any guards. As a matter of fact, there weren't any Digimon in the area at all. Frowning, he glanced in each direction, but saw nothing.

"There's no one around."

"Then that means there's no one to slow us down."

Eyebrows raising, Judai noticed at the last second that his partner was walking off without him. Scurrying after him, the blond let out a breath. When they reached the door, Judai reached forward and hesitantly tried the handle. Much to his surprise, it was unlocked, and he opened the door up. Slowly the two entered, though they had no reason to worry at that particular moment since they saw and heard no one. Dorumon immediately headed up the stairs, and Judai groaned.

"Wonder if the others are having to deal with this."

"It sure looked like it when Dracomon marked our maps."

"Think any of them are already fighting?"

"Saberdramon's station was the closest."

"I hope she's alright…"

"Salamon will protect her."

"I know she will."

Dorumon glanced back at the blond to see him looking away at the last moment. The small Digimon laughed. In response, Judai folded his arms and passed by his partner, hurrying up the steps. Dorumon caught up with him, and both of them arrived at the top at the same time. Both of them froze, Judai taking a step back. They could only see the back of the Digimon, but even that made the duo nervous.

"_I thought I sensed someone,"_ a rough, gravelly voice stated. _"What brings you here?"_

"We're here to fight, DexDorugamon," Dorumon stated.

"_Oh?"_ Amused, DexDorugamon turned enough to look at the two. _"What makes you think you can, Rookie?"_

Judai swallowed. "We've made it this far."

"_I commend you on that, but that does not mean you can defeat me."_

Shakily pulling out his Digivice, Judai stared at the screen as he fumbled to get information on the Digimon to appear. When it did, his heart dropped into his stomach.

"He eats Digicores…"

"What?" Dorumon exclaimed, looking at Judai.

"That must be why no one else was around."

"_Knowing that, do you still wish to fight me?"_

"If it means stopping you from killing anyone else? Yes," the little purple Digimon growled, stepping forward. "Because that is inexcusable."

The screen of the Digivice came to life with a burst of light, and soon enough Dorugamon stood in front of Judai. Now that his partner was in his Champion stage, it was easy to compare him and DexDorugamon. The shape of their bodies might have been the same, but they looked drastically different. Their opponent was practically nothing but a mummy with nuts, bolts, and mechanical body parts. Just from listening to the sadistic Digimon, Judai could tell he was nothing like Dorugamon. In fact, Judai didn't even know why his partner was ever concerned.

"_Devouring your core will be especially enjoyable,"_ DexDorugamon hummed.

"Too bad for you, because I'm not letting that happen," Dorugamon snapped.

The undead Digimon lunged, swinging one arm around in around to strike with his claws. Dorugamon sidestepped the attack and whipped his tail forward, hitting DexDorugamon in the stomach. The hit barely affected DexDorugamon, who grabbed the tail tightly. He spun and sent Dorugamon sailing through the air. He landed harshly, head colliding with the stone wall. DexDorugamon ran forward and attempted to jump onto the downed Digimon, but Dorugamon rolled out of the way and hopped to his feet.

An iron ball shot out of his mouth, striking DexDorugamon in the chest, just as he turned, with enough force to make him skid back. Snarling, the undead creature shot several of his own. Dorugamon dodged most of them, only to be hit in the side by one. He stumbled but caught himself, and smacked one of the balls back to DexDorugamon by using his tail, though he winced. DexDorugamon leaned to the side in time, the iron ball going straight past him and taking out part of the wall.

"_I must admit, I was not expecting you to be as strong as you are."_

"I'm full of surprises."

He opened his mouth and spit out what looked like a seed. Confused, DexDorugamon realized too late what it was and found himself being thrown backwards by an explosion.

_Wait, that looked like…that was one of Arbormon's attacks! _Judai himself was confused. _He can use that? Is it because he absorbed some of Arbormon's data?_

DexDorugamon slid to a stop, growling. More seeds came flying, and the undead Digimon was forced to flee them as they detonated. Smoke covered the area, obscuring DexDorugamon from view. Narrowing his eyes, Dorugamon tried to see where his opponent was, but he couldn't even see an outline.

A sphere came out of nowhere, hitting Dorugamon's leg and causing him to fall. DexDorugamon charged out of the smoke, landing directly on the downed Digimon. Grinning, the psychopath pinned Dorugamon to the floor, and no matter how much he struggled, Judai's partner couldn't free himself. Panicking, Judai took a step forward, but stopped, knowing he would just get in the way.

"_There. This is much better,"_ DexDorugamon whispered.

"Get off of me!" Dorugamon shouted, wriggling around.

"_I think not. I finally have you where I want you."_ Dorugamon looked up to see glowing red eyes staring down at him. _"Now I merely have to decide how I am going to kill you. Perhaps I should rip out your core, like I have done to all the other Digimon I have destroyed. Or maybe I should tear your limbs off first."_

Judai reached down, scooping up a piece of rubble. He couldn't think of anything else to do to help his partner, because he couldn't just wrestle the undead Digimon off of him. Without a second thought, the blond hurtled the stone at DexDorugamon. It bounced harmlessly off of the Digimon's head, but it was enough to make him turn to glare at Judai with an annoyed look.

Taking the opportunity, Dorugamon slid his hind legs up and then kicked DexDorugamon in the stomach. He fell back, rolling once before stopping on his stomach. Dorugamon scrambled to his feet at the same time as DexDorugamon, and the two lunged at each other, swinging their claws. Dorugamon shifted so that DexDorugamon stabbed through his shoulder, while his hit his mark: Right in DexDorugamon's chest.

"Time to get a taste of your own medicine."

"_How ironic…"_

Dorugamon ripped the undead Digimon's core out and crushed it. DexDorugamon faded, and the Dorugamon reverted back to his Rookie level.

"You okay?" Judai asked as his partner turned away.

"Yeah," Dorumon said. "I actually feel pretty great."

"Let me look at that shoulder," Judai mumbled, kneeling.

~0~

"Sometimes you're lack of subtlety is frustrating."

"So?"

"Right now, I'm enjoying it."

"See? It can be fun!"

Rolling her eyes, Birdramon landed on top of the tower, perching on the edge. Shizuka jumped down, grinning, and raised her hand in greeting.

"Yo."

The Digimon that was standing on the opposite of them turned, clearly annoyed by their intrusion. "And you must be one of the DigiDestined."

"Yep. Shizuka's the name, and this here is my partner." With the creature's full attention on her, Shizuka put her fists on her hips. "Simply put, we're here to kill you."

"Really?" Cyclonemon said, sneering as he looked at Birdramon. "You expect this chick to beat me?"

"Chick?" Birdramon hopped down, fluttering her wings. "Typical muscle-head!"

Shizuka waved towards him. "Go on ahead."

Nodding, Birdramon took flight and let out a stream of fire. Cyclonemon raised his massive arm to shield himself and was soon surrounded by flames. When the bird stopped, Cyclonemon lowered his arm long enough to glare with his single eye, and then flung the arm towards Birdramon. Shizuka was both disgusted and impressed to see the appendage extend, stretching farther than what its presumed reach would be. Birdramon drifted to the side and watched as the arm retracted.

"That's interesting," Birdramon muttered.

Soon she was maneuvering through the air, dodging the arm. Frowning, she spread her wings out just as it began to pull back and flapped, raining small meteors down on Cyclonemon. He jumped back, the meteors crashing into the floor where he had been standing. He lashed out, grabbing Birdramon's leg. Grunting, he pulled her down and swung her into the ground. He threw her back into the air. She spun before righting herself, squawking.

She swooped down, spinning to the left to avoid being grabbed again, and rammed into Cyclonemon. She forced him down onto the ground, only to be punched in her lower jaw. She took off into the air before he could hit her again, smoke billowing out from her tail feathers. She flew around the perimeter of the tower, listening closely to the sound of coughing and footsteps. Wheeling around, she positioned her above the cloud of smoke and used her Meteor Wing attack once again.

When the smoke cleared, Cyclonemon was shielding himself, but wounds covered his body that showed where he had gotten hit. Glaring, he opened his mouth and shot out a beam. Shizuka could see the heat coming off it and yelled at her partner in time for Birdramon to dodge it. The bird could feel the warmth around the beam and moved farther away. She waited until he attempted the attack a second time to release a stream of flames that caught the dragon off guard.

Keeping the flame steady, she swooped down, stopping the fire once she was on top of Cyclonemon. Since he had no time to react, she was able to grab him and throw him into the air. She stuck him in the stomach, sending him even higher, and then flew around to be above him. She folded in her wings and let herself fall, building up speed until she hit him, her beak stabbing him through the back, and then slammed him into the ground. His data scattered, and she quickly absorbed it.

Once done, she de-Digivolved and flitted over to Shizuka.

"Remind me not to make you angry!" The girl joked.

Biyomon smirked.

~0~

Deep breaths came from the dog, who had lowered his front half to the ground. A few feet away, the bipedal dragon was glaring, holding a wound on his side. Mikami's gaze drifted from one to the other. The two were evenly matched, having exchanged attacks blow-for-blow this entire battle.

"Gotta admit," Dobermon huffed, "that you're…stronger than I…thought ya'd be."

"You…as well," Arresterdramon muttered. "A truly worthy…opponent."

"Thanks," the dog said, grinning. "Guess this is a lesson for me not to underestimate my enemies."

The dragon snorted, attempting to cover up his chuckle. "Perhaps that is a lesson I should follow as well."

Dobermon slowly pushed himself up. "Y'know…it's too bad you're on the other side. You'd make a great friend."

"I could say the same to you."

"Gotta ask…why ya fightin' for Ginryumon? For the Master?" Dobermon asked.

"They spared my life," Arresterdramon said. "Even if I wanted to, the people of the city would never allow me to help."

"Come'n, ya don't really think that, d'ya?"

"Prove me wrong."

"Never know till ya try."

_He isn't trying to….he is, isn't he? I'll be damned,_ Mikami thought to herself.

Arresterdramon closed his eyes, contemplating the dog's words. The brunette had to admit that she impressed by her partner. Dobermon wasn't finished; he trotted closer to the dragon, who blinked open his eyes to watch. Pausing, the dog sat down for a moment and stared the dragon in the eyes.

"I'm making an offer," the dog stated. "All you gotta do is take it."

"And…if I were to do take your offer?"

"Then ya make it up to everyone. Thought that part was pretty obvious."

Arresterdramon let out a soft laugh before falling to his knees. "I think I would like that," he whispered, looking down at his wound. "Though, I am afraid I will not be of much help right now."

"Heh, that's just a scratch," Dobermon said.

Mikami lowered her Digivice, placing it into her pocket, and strode over to the two Digimon. Dobermon glanced at her, and Arresterdramon raised his head to meet her gaze. She placed a hand on his arm and then kneeled, gently pulling his hand down to see the injury. She looked at Dobermon, offering him a small smile that made his ears stand straight. The exhaustion finally catching up to him, the dog shrank until landing on his rear as Impmon. He stood back up, limping forward until he was directly in front of Arresterdramon.

"What d'ya say?" The imp asked, extending his hand. "Can we be friends?"

Hesitantly, the dragon reached out and carefully rested his hand on top of Impmon. "You are willing to trust me?"

Impmon glanced to his partner, who nodded encouragingly. "I am if you are."

Sighing, the dragon lowered his hand and placed it against the ground. With a loud groan, he pushed himself to his feet, stumbling. Impmon took a step back along with Mikami, both waiting to see what Arresterdramon would do. After swaying a bit, the dragon began to walk towards the steps.

"I will help you," he rumbled.

Impmon grinned and high-fived his partner.

"Sir Arresterdramon!"

The human and her partner's heads shot up, and they took shelter behind a piece of rubble, peeking around it. A small BlackAgumon had come running up the stairs and was gasping for breath.

"Speak," Arresterdramon growled.

"S-sir!" The reptile exclaimed, startled. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm here to report that Saberdramon, DexDorugamon, and Cyclonemon have been defeated and destroyed!"

"I see." The dragon turned slightly. "You may leave."

"Y-yes, sir, of course…" The BlackAgumon trailed off, eyes widening. "You're injured sir. Should I—"

"Leave," Arresterdramon snarled.

The reptile jumped and sped off, running down the steps. The footsteps faded, and Arresterdramon walked over to where Mikami and Impmon were standing.

"That just leaves Tadashi and Daiki," Mikami muttered. "I doubt Daiki is even where he's supposed to be. It's been awhile, so Tadashi probably made it to that tower…" She began pacing.

"Who is your friend battling?"

"Dinohumon." She looked up at him to see his gaze harden. "What?"

"We must go. Now."

"Why?" Impmon asked. "What's the matter? They can handle 'im."

There was no reply as Arresterdramon scooped up the duo, depositing both of them on either shoulder. Impmon nearly fell off when Arresterdramon jumped off the side of the tower, barely catching hold of a spike to steady himself. Mikami wrapped an arm around the dragon's neck carefully. The massive bipedal Digimon landed on the roof of a building and then took off, surprisingly quick when taking his wounds into consideration.

"Mind tellin' me why you're so worked up?" Impmon asked in a demanding tone.

"You must believe me when I say that your friends are in danger."

"Danger?" Impmon laughed. "Tadashi is practically a genius, when he wants to be. They'll be fine. Right, Mikami?" When she didn't respond, he leaned back to look at her. "Mikami?"

"Even if they aren't in trouble, we should still check on them," she said.

"They might be the strongest, but come on, they can beat him!" The imp frowned.

"I don't know, Impmon."

"Dinohumon may not be as powerful as I am, but he is still a force to be reckoned with. One cannot afford to underestimate him. You said yourself that you are the strongest of your friends. You barely surpass Dinohumon's strength."

"…Oh."

Traveling from rooftop to rooftop, it didn't take them but half an hour to reach the northern tower. When it came within sight, Arresterdramon bounded into the air and landed harshly, lurching to the side due to his injury. Garurumon, who was laying on the ground, slowly raised his head. The Digimon that was poised above the wolf with his sword pointed down stopped the weapon's descent to shift his gaze. The blue-haired teenager standing a few feet away let his mouth drop open in surprise. Impmon jumped down, landing beside Tadashi and causing the boy to jump, and soon Mikami joined her partner.

"You okay?" Mikami asked worriedly, looking up at their new ally.

"Fine," Arresterdramon hissed through clenched teeth.

"Wha—huh—" Tadashi attempted to form words, though his attempts were futile.

"Arresterdramon, what are you doing here?" Dinohumon asked, clearly suspicious. "Why are you with a human?"

"Stand down," the dragon growled.

"What? These intruders must be dealt with. We have our orders."

Moving to stand in front of the four friends, Arresterdramon glared down at the humanoid, who stared defiantly. Several moments passed when Dinohumon hefted up his giant sword and pointed it at the dragon. Sidestepping, Arresterdramon whipped his arm around and slammed Dinohumon into the ground, pinning him by the neck.

"It does not have to be this way."

"Why would you betray Ginryumon?"

"Because I have chosen to fight for the freedom of this world. I am done tormenting and suppressing innocent Digital."

"Turning your back on the Master will be the last thing you ever do."

The humanoid slammed his foot into Arresterdramon's wounded side, causing the dragon to let out a roar of pain and fall to the side. Grabbing his sword, Dinohumon prepared to stab the downed Digimon. Garurumon, finally having gotten to his feet, tackled the swordsman, knocking the massive sword away. When Dinohumon stood, Arresterdramon stabbed his tail forward, skewering the humanoid. He lifted up the Digimon and tossed him aside, barely offering a glance when the warrior disappeared.

"Why are you with _Arresterdramon_?!" Tadashi exclaimed, flinging his hands in the direction of the dragon. "Did you completely forget the fact that you were supposed to beat him?! Have you gone insane? What if he—"

"Bada Boom!" Impmon shouted, flicking a fireball at the teenager. Tadashi yelped and Garurumon attempted to help him put out his flaming pant leg. "Shut up for five dang seconds. Jeez! This guy's with us."

The teenager stuttered, clearly frustrated. "_What_?!"

"He's with us," Mikami repeated, covering her face with her hand. "Now let's go before Daiki and Renamon get themselves beat. Or worse…"

"Alright, but I want to hear how _this,_" Tadashi grumbled, motioning once again to Arresterdramon, "happened."

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one who I'm gonna have to explain to."

Arresterdramon picked up Mikami and Impmon, while Tadashi climbed onto Garurumon's back. They took off, leaping off the tower.

"May I ask who he is battling?"

"He's heading into city hall to fight Ginryumon."

"He will never win with only his partner."

"Well, big guy, that's why we're goin' to help them," Impmon said.

"Think you'll have enough energy to Digivolve again?" Mikami asked.

"I dunno. That fight took a lot out of me, but the only way to see is to try, huh?"

"I don't want you pushing yourself."

"Arresterdramon and Garurumon can help them, y'know."

Propelling himself off of one of the building roofs, Arresterdramon dropped down and landed beside Garurumon just in front of city hall. Just as they went to take a step forward, the wall of a higher floor exploded outwards, stone raining down from above. A golden blur hit the ground, sliding to a halt several feet away. The dust cleared to show Kyubimon laying still. Impmon gasped and took off running to get to her, only for a massive shape to slam down in between him and Kyubimon. Arresterdramon grunted, instinctually taking a step back.

"How long have they been fighting?" Mikami jumped down.

The massive dragon standing in front of Impmon turned, briefly examining him. When Kyubimon groaned and tried to stand, he turned his attention back to her with a malicious grin. From the hole in the building, Daiki and Dracomon rejoined the battle. The silver-haired young man blanched upon seeing Arresterdramon.

"Great, now there's _two?_"

"It's alright, Daiki!" Mikami shouted. "Impmon, let's go!"

Ginryumon snorted and prepared to stomp on Kyubimon when Garurumon rammed into his leg, diverting its path enough for it to miss Kyubimon. The fox struggled to her feet and backed away alongside Garurumon. Dobermon joined the two, sliding in front of them.

"How amusing." He tilted his head to the side, eyes locking onto Arresterdramon. "I should have guessed that you would be the one."

"I am no longer afraid of you, Ginryumon. I have a real purpose now: To protect the innocent."

"Laughable. You spend most of your pathetic life working underneath me and suddenly think that you can just leave that all behind."

"I should have known that you would never understand."

While the two spoke, Daiki and Dracomon hurried over to where Mikami and Tadashi were standing. "Okay, what is going on? What have I missed?"

"Long story short, Impmon made friends with Arresterdramon and now he's on our side. Now stop asking questions and focus on the fight."

"Made friends with…" Daiki shook his head. "Whatever."

A snarl come from Dobermon as he bounded forward to attack. With the dog focusing on a frontal attack, Garurumon swung around the right, and Kyubimon headed to the left. Arresterdramon charged from the rear, pulling his arm back for a punch. There was a chuckle as Ginryumon smirked, his mouth barely tugging upwards. His left leg lashed out, striking Kyubimon. He followed by swinging his right forefoot into Garurumon. The two were sent sailing backwards, and the dragon rammed his head into Dobermon. When the trio landed, he whacked Arresterdramon in the side with his tail.

It happened so quickly that the humans weren't able to properly warn their partners.

"What the hell?!" The brunette exclaimed.

"He's just too fast!"

Daiki glared at the younger boy. "No shit. What made you think that?"

"No wonder we saw Kyubimon fly out of the building. Any ideas, Tadashi?"

"Sorry. Not this time."

Dobermon hopped to his feet and charged again, only to be knocked back down. Ginryumon stomped down, though Arresterdramon was quick enough to grab the dog and roll out of the way of the oncoming foot. Dobermon gave him a grateful look, receiving a nod. Garurumon let out a blast of blue fire that harmlessly hit the massive dragon's armor. Ginryumon turned, calmly walking towards the unmoving wolf. Kyubimon slid in front of him, using her Fox Tail Inferno attack in hopes of inflicting damage. However, Ginryumon shifted, and the flames missed their mark.

"Go for his legs," Arresterdramon whispered into Dobermon's ear.

"Got it."

The two rushed forward to attack, Arresterdramon breaking away to draw Ginryumon's attention. The armored dragon turned, clearly annoyed. Seeing his chance, Dobermon built up energy and let it exploded from his maw in the form of Schwartz Strahl. Ginryumon noticed from the corner of his eye and was preparing when a sudden flood of flames from above broke his concentration. The black beam of energy cut straight through the dragon's right back leg, earning a loud roar of pain.

"Where did that—"

"Yoo-hoo! Did someone call for a hero?"

Glancing up allowed them to see the shape of Birdramon swooping down over their heads. Yoko and Gatomon leaped off, the girl catching the cat in hers arms. Shizuka landed beside them just as Judai joined them. Yoko put Gatomon down, letting her dash over to where the other partners were gathered.

"You guys showed up at a good time," Daiki said, slapping Judai on the back. The blond winced and frowned.

"We saw a big dust cloud coming from this direction and figured it had to be one of you. Mostly Daiki."

"_Hey._"

"More insects?" Ginryumon hissed.

"Since you guys decided to join the party," Dobermon said, "let's have some fun, yeah? Focus on the legs. Attacks don't work on that armor."

"Shouldn't be too hard, right?" Birdramon grunted.

"He's fast," Garurumon warned.

"Good thing I am too," Gatomon replied.

Snorting, Ginryumon glared at the gathered Digimon. "No matter how many of you there are, you will still lose."

"Oh, is that right?" Shizuka shouted. "You really think that, don't you? We took out all your little buddies, and everyone else we've fought up until now."

"There hasn't been a single enemy we haven't beaten yet," Yoko added.

Judai held up his fist. "When we're fighting together, we always win!"

"A bit cheesy, guys," Mikami said with a smile.

Ginryumon sneered, disgusted by the display. Dropping down to all fours, Gatomon took off running towards him. His gaze swung around to look at her, and the others charged at that moment, circling around. Dorugamon was the first to reach him, making the dragon spin to attack him with his left forefoot. Gatomon took that moment to scratch his injured leg, throwing his attack off. Garurumon lunged forward to bite down on his opposite rear leg, causing the dragon to kick him off; he wasn't quick enough to avoid the freezing effects of the bite, however.

Just as Ginryumon kicked, Birdramon swooped down and slammed her feet into his side, making him tilt to the right. Knocked off balance, he was unable to avoid the azure fire dragon that Kyubimon released, which wound around his foreleg. Though it lacked its usual power, it was strong enough to burn the exposed areas of the leg. Finally regaining his balance, Ginryumon slammed his feet back down, grimacing in the process, and lunged at the golden fox.

Dobermon appeared in front of her and fired a fireball right in Ginryumon's face. This made him recoil, giving Arresterdramon an opening to slice his tail through the damaged leg, effectively cutting it off. After stumbling for a moment, Ginryumon caught himself and lashed out with his own tail. Arresterdramon jumped back, avoiding it. Gatomon launched herself upwards and successfully landed on the appendage. The armored dragon whipped his head around to look at her, but she leaped away.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Dobermon called. "Getting frustrated?"

"Silence, you—"

"Aww, poor little dragon is all angry."

The Digimon jumped back, confusing Ginryumon, and a moment later meteors rained down on the dragon. When they stopped, Birdramon dropped down onto his back. He bucked her off. The movement left him open for Arresterdramon to slug him in the throat. Coughing, Ginryumon swiped at Arresterdramon, but the bipedal dragon ducked sideways to avoid it.

"They sure are enjoying this," Judai mumbled.

Daiki snorted. "I don't blame them."

"Let's finish this," Kyubimon growled.

"Let's," Dobermon agreed. "Let him have it, guys!"

"Howling Blaster!"

"Dragon Wheel!"

"Fire Storm!"

Once the fiery attacks engulfed Ginryumon, Dorugamon shouted, "Power Metal!" The iron sphere hit the dragon in the chest, knocking him back and finally breaking a large portion of armor.

Gatomon followed the attack up using Lightning Claw, slicing the dragon's now exposed chest. Arresterdramon spun around, his tail stabbing into the clawed area.

"Schwartz Strahl!" Dobermon howled.

The black beam entered through Ginryumon's chest and exited out of his back. A few seconds later, the dragon exploded into a mass of data.

"About time!" Daiki exclaimed, throwing up both hands.

The Digimon all let themselves revert, each flinging themselves onto the ground in exhaustion. Arresterdramon crashed onto his rear with a tired groan.

"So…what now?" Dracomon asked, staring at the group of Digimon that were sprawled around on the ground.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think they need about a month of rest," Mikami said with a laugh.

Shizuka placed her hand against her forehead and dramatically cried, "You kidding me? _I_ need a month's worth of rest!"

Tadashi paused. "Wait…what about the Dark Crystal that was here?"

"Oh, no," Yoko groaned.

This prompted a grin from Daiki. "Ah, heck, we took care of that."

"Good," Judai mumbled. "I'm gonna go over there and lay down with Dorumon."

Running his fingers through his hair, Daiki tilted his head sideways and glanced down at Mikami. The brunette flicked her gaze at him.

"I wasn't really mad at you."

"That punch to my gut said otherwise."

"I got over that." She smiled and gently pushed him. "I was just mad at myself for punching you when I knew you were trying to help…Sorry."

Reaching over, Daiki wound his arm around her shoulders. "Can we kiss and make—**oomph!**" The sound came when Mikami nailed him in the side, causing him to bend over.

"No," she told him with a grin.


	23. 22 - Live And Learn

This is a short update. Sorry. I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter up since there's a big project I need to work on.

* * *

The sound of furious scribbling was beginning to drive him insane. Sitting in a chair he had taken from his room, Devimon tilted his head away from the door to stare at his partner. It had been somewhere from half an hour to an hour since she began, and yet she still hadn't finished. Several different papers had been balled up and thrown down during that time, surrounding the chair the young woman sat in. He watched her, noting just how quickly her hand was moving as she wrote. She paused, the pencil in her hand hovering over the paper. She slammed the pencil down and ran her fingers through her hair and messing it up while muttering in frustration.

"Come on," Devimon said. "Take a break. You've been at it for a long while now."

"Have to get this done," she grumbled, biting down on her thumbnail.

"What is so hard about it?"

Resting her forehead against the desk, Angela let out a sigh. "I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this. Writing has never been my forte, but I've never had this much trouble with it."

The demon snorted, looking at the door. "You're overthinking it."

Angela balled up the paper that was sitting on the desk and tossed it aside. "Just gotta give it another try."

"Hurry it up. It won't be too long until they finally figure out what's going on. We've been locked up in here for a good while, you know."

"Yeah," she mumbled, picking up the pencil. Beginning to write, she leaned over the desk.

The Virus Digimon leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. "Tell me when you're done."

"Will do."

_Still don't see what's so hard about writing a letter,_ Devimon thought sourly. _She should've just let me do it. But _no_, she wanted to be the one to do it._

He really couldn't blame her, though, taking into consideration what it was she was doing. Contacting the DigiDestined was something personal for her; she had been played for months, forced to do things she never would have done if she had a choice. That wasn't the only reason. Mikami was a part of it, that much he was sure. She had told the demon a few stories after having been freed of Hypnocomon's control. If Devimon was in her place, he would probably feel obligated to make it up to the person he was friends with. For her it was so much more because they hadn't just been friends. They had practically been sisters to each other, at least according to Angela.

His train of thought was interrupted when Angela hummed in approval. She held up the paper as she stood and shoved Devimon's chair down onto all four feet.

"Done."

"Only took you some thirty papers to do it."

"Don't," she said, flicking him. "You said you knew someone that would deliver this?"

"I do recall saying that."

"And you're sure he'll be able to find the DigiDestined?"

"Yep."

"Then let's go meet up with him."

Sighing, Devimon stood and kicked the chair out of the way of the door. After folding up the letter and putting it in her pocket, Angela roughly pulled open the drawer of the nightstand to grab the pair of goggles sitting inside it. She slipped it on, letting it rest around her neck, and then snatched up the photo on the top of the nightstand. When she looked down at it, she smiled. Devimon cleared his throat and flung open the bedroom door, motioning with his hand for her to go into the hallway. She hurried out, quickly followed by Devimon as he shut the door.

Walking through the halls was strange for Angela considering the way some Digimon shied away from her and Devimon, or how others cheerily greeted them. It made her sick thinking about the fact that she had been working alongside these Digimon to help drive the world to ruin. Even if she had been under control, she was still to blame; she had let herself be taken over. To think that if Devimon hadn't decided to fight for her instead of that damned Demon Lord, she would still be fighting against Mikami.

She shuddered.

But now she had a chance to make things right. No matter what happened, she was going to help the DigiDestined to win the fight and save both worlds. She would protect the innocent, not hurt them.

"Devimon," she said suddenly, making the demon turn to look at her. "Am I the only reason you're doing this?"

He didn't pause to think, stating, "Pretty much."

"You don't care about helping Digimon? Protecting those who can't protect themselves?"

"Not particularly. I've mostly been concerned with looking out for myself."

"Which is why I still don't understand how you could care so much about _me_," the blonde muttered, shaking her head.

He shrugged, blinking his eyes closed for a couple of seconds. "Beats me. To be honest, I don't get it either. All I know is that I do, and I want to protect you, and it's frustrating."

Angela snorted in laughter. "Frustrating?"

"Yes, it's _frustrating_," he said, flinging his hands into the air. "You're wanting to do this and put yourself in danger and—why are you looking at me like that?" He demanded.

Giggling, she looked away. "Sorry. I still can't get over you being such a mother hen!"

"Mother hen? What?" He frowned at her, causing her to smile widely.

"Ah, never mind. Guess there's just some things a Digimon can't understand."

"Not sure whether to be relieved or insulted by that."

Angela grabbed the handle of the front door and swung it open. Sitting a short distance away from MailBirdramon, who was staring at the duo expectantly. Beside him was a small red bird that turned to look when the partners came out. They approached the two bird Digimon, Angela pointing to the smaller one with a curious glance to Devimon. The demon nodded his affirmation, and the blonde looked somewhat surprised. Reaching into her pocket, Angela grabbed the letter and pulled it out to hand it to the Hawkmon.

"You're sure you can get this to them?" She had to ask; Devimon had told her they could trust the little Digimon, but she had always been a bit on the paranoid side.

Hawkmon nodded quickly and grabbed the letter. He slipped it into the pouch he was wearing. "Of course I can! You don't have to worry about a thing. But, uh, why do you want me to deliver this for you? Couldn't you do it yourself?"

"There's some…business that Devimon and I have to take care of," Angela replied. "We want that latter to get to them as soon as possible, understood."

Saluting, the red bird straightened. "Yes, ma'am! I'll have it to them in no time!" He flew off, quickly becoming a dot in the distance.

She smiled and turned to MailBirdramon. "You know where we're going, don't you?"

"Yes, and we'd best hurry while we still have time."

"Of course."

"How do we know that this Digimon we're going to see can help?" Devimon asked, begrudgingly climbing onto the metal bird.

"Only thing we've heard so far. So let's just get on our way."


	24. 23 - A Price Too High

Sorry for the long wait. This isn't even a very long chapter, haha. Well, I have a feeling that someone might get mad when reading this. I sure hope not, though. *sweat drop*

* * *

Four days had passed since they defeated Ginryumon. The battle against him had done more damage that any of them anticipated, and the fights between his followers and Arresterdramon's allies the first two days led to far too much clean-up work. In fact, the group worked so much that Renamon and Gabumon eventually passed out. With their partners exhausted to the point of collapsing, the humans settled for staying in the city to rest for a few more days.

Hence the reason why Mikami and Impmon were walking along the streets, heading for city hall. A random messenger dropped by the building they were staying in to tell them that a letter had arrived for the DigiDestined, so the others wanted her and her partner there as soon as possible. Impmon let out a long, heavy sigh, putting his hands behind his head. Mikami looked down at him, waiting for him to make a comment.

"What do ya think it is?" He asked.

"How would I know? This is the first time anyone has sent us a letter in the Digital World."

He shrugged. "Can't blame me for wondering."

"Whatever." She stopped in front of the door and swung it open. "Ladies first."

The brunette couldn't help but smirk as he glared at her. She followed him and closed the door behind her. In all honesty, she was just as curious as Impmon. Who would be sending them a letter and why? What reason could they have for not wanting to meet them in person? She swiped her bangs from her face and trotted up the stairs beside Impmon. Maybe it was someone they knew. Her eyes brightened at the thought that it could be Leomon. She hadn't heard anything about him since the Ice Zone incident. She desperately wanted to know if he was alive or not.

Not that she thought he couldn't protect himself.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Impmon said, "Oi, stop starin' off into space."

"Sorry. Thinking," she replied, waving her hand. "What's wrong? Too short to reach the handle?"

He scowled, a slight blush on his face. "You know I am," he hissed.

She snickered and opened the door to the conference room. Standing inside were the other ten members of their group, most of them turning their heads to look at the duo. Impmon trudged inside, still embarrassed. They took their spots at the table and focused their attention on Arresterdramon. The dragon handed the letter to Mikami.

"So, what does it say?" She asked.

"We haven't read it yet. We were waiting for you," Tadashi informed her. "If you would do the honors?"

Mikami rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Sure…

"_Dear DigiDestined,_

_I'm afraid that I can't yet reveal my identity. However, I assure you that I am a friend. Though I was once against you, I have realized the error of my ways and wish to help. There are certain things that I cannot put in this letter, but there is information you must know now. The enemy you have been battling, the Master, is a Demon Lord. Her name is Laylamon. You most likely know that she plans on seizing control of the Digital World; she always wishes to control the human world as well. That is why I'm contacting you. Meet me on the top of Border Canyon, on the Mountain Zone side, at noon. I can tell you more there._

_Thank you."_

"Didn't even sign off," Shizuka said with a snort. "Well? What are we gonna do?"

Daiki frowned. "Can we trust this person? They said they were against us, which means they worked for Laylamon… They could still work for her."

"But what if they're telling the truth?" Judai wondered, worried.

Yoko paled slightly. "Our families would be in trouble…"

"…You two do have a point," Impmon grunted.

There was a soft outward breath from Renamon, who folded her arms. "It would be in our best interests to act least investigate. The possible consequences of ignoring this letter's warning are too dire for us not to."

"Then it's settled. We're going to meet up with whoever wrote this," Mikami stated, moving away from the table. "Come on."

"Are you _sure_ about this?" Shizuka asked. "It could be a trap."

"Do you really want to risk ignoring it and having everyone we care about put in danger?"

Groaning, the purple-haired teenager looked away. "No…"

"Exactly."

The look on the brunette's face suddenly turned dark, making the two youngest of the group flinch. Even Impmon was surprised by the abrupt change in demeanor.

"I am _not_ going to lose my family," she hissed.

Sighing quietly, Daiki slid away from the table to walk up to Mikami and wrap his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him for a moment, and then stormed out of the room. Impmon jumped down and ran after her, leaving. The oldest ran a hand down his face while the others filed out, making Tadashi stop to look at him. Tadashi could tell from the expression on Daiki's face that the eighteen year-old knew what made Mikami's mood shift.

"We should go," Tadashi said.

"Yeah…"

Birdramon was sitting outside, a majority of the group already waiting on her. The two boys climbed onto her feet, grabbing hold. Once they were secure, she lifted off. Down below, Arresterdramon waved goodbye.

"Let's hope for the best," Yoko whispered.

Impmon didn't think that hoping would help them.

~0~

They arrived before noon.

It was a surprise to most of them that they were early. They took to lounging around while waiting for noon to come, basking in the sun. Mikami was impatient, pacing the area during the entire time; Judai slept with Dorumon; Tadashi and Renamon studied the blue-haired boy's Digivice; Biyomon watched Shizuka and Daiki spar; Yoko fixed Salamon's fur and smoothed out Gabumon's coat.

Impmon, on the other hand, was sitting on the tallest rock he could find and staring out into the distance. Usually Renamon was the one to sense danger, but she was too interested in the Digivice to notice much of anything. The imp could feel that something was off, so he kept an eye out for anything that might cause trouble for them. He knew that Mikami didn't want to take any chances with the letter, and neither did he. It could easily be a trap; that was why he was on the lookout.

_There is no way I'm gettin' caught off guard,_ he thought with a nod. _No way._ He glanced over his shoulder, letting his gaze sweep over everyone. Confident that they were okay, he turned his attention back to where he had been looking. _Besides, I can handle anything that might pop out and attack us._

"Impmon, what exactly are you doing?" Mikami asked, stopping her pacing. "Impy?"

"Don't call me that!" He snapped, eye twitching. She had started calling him that the past three days and it was _annoying._ "I'm just…chillin' out up here! Go back to wearin' a rut into the ground."

The purple Digimon could just imagine the smirk on her face when she said, "What's wrong, Impy? Don't like my nickname for you?"

"You know I don't," he groaned, covering his eyes. He honestly would've launched a fireball at her if he didn't know that she was just trying to make herself feel better.

"But it's such a cute nickname."

"Well, I don't care. Give someone else a cute nickname!"

"But _you_ are _cute_." Now she was patronizing him.

A half laugh escaped his mouth as he leaned back to stare at her. "Fine, call me whatever you want Kami. Or should I say…Princess?"

She grinned at him, stepping up to the bottom of the rock. "You seem less tense."

"I could say the same to you."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm just…anxious to get home. I wanna see my parents…make sure they're okay."

"Aw, heck, I don't blame ya." He waved his hand.

"Now, I'm gonna guess the reason you're up there is because you think this is a trap."

"Score one for Mikami. Any other guesses?"

"Ha, funny." She climbed up to sit beside him. "Why are you thinking it's a trap?"

"I gotta bad feeling. _That's_ why. You know my gut isn't wrong very often."

"When it comes to danger. Directions? Not so much."

"Knock it off."

"Sorry." She kicked her legs. "I don't think the letter itself is a trap. Taking that into mind, I don't blame you for being a bit on edge. Someone could've got a hold of the letter before us."

"Just trust me. Something is _definitely_ off."

"I'll take your word for it, considering last time—"

Her sentence was caught off by a massive _boom_ as something slammed into the ground, followed by rocks bursting outwards from in front of the duo. The shockwave sent both of them flying off the rock, barely being caught by Daiki and Renamon. Daiki slid to a stop, holding Mikami tightly in his hands, while Renamon landed and placed Impmon down. Lowering his head, Daiki looked Mikami over, earning an annoyed look from the brunette. He blushed and set her on her feet, and she punched him roughly in the arm. The others joined them, looking at the duo who had just been launched through the air.

"Are you okay?" Yoko asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Mikami answered with a smile. "Impmon?"

The imp gave her a thumbs up. "I'm alive!"

"_Not for much longer."_

Impmon jumped, looking into the cloud of dust. A shadowy figure began walking forward until a tall, dragon-like Digimon stepped out. The Digimon grinned widely, displaying his razor sharp teeth. As he drew closer, the humans' partners positioned themselves in front of their partners. Tadashi held up his Digivice as the screen brought up information. He sucked in a breath, drawing Shizuka's attention.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Cyberdramon. He's an _Ultimate._"

"Oh shit."

The others fumbled to get their Digivices. Cyberdramon lunged. Impmon Digivolved into Dobermon in time to intercept the dragon, giving everyone else enough time to Digivolve. Cyberdramon delivered a nasty uppercut to Dobermon's chin, sending the dog sailing over the group. Garurumon and Kyubimon ran at him from opposite sides. He slammed his fist into Garurumon's snout and then spun around to kick the fox in the side of the head. The canines stumbled back. Gatomon jumped up and swung her extended claws at him. Smirking, Cyberdramon grabbed the cat and threw her to the ground. A metal ball shot from Dorugamon's mouth was smacked back at him, causing the winged mammal to be hit and fall to the ground.

Birdramon rose up into the air and let out a stream of fire. Cyberdramon crossed his arms, the fire sweeping over him. The humans watched in anticipation, only for the dragon to jump out of the flames straight at the bird above. He elbowed her in the head, sending her crashing into the ground.

"_Did you seriously think that a group of Champions could defeat me?"_ He questioned, landing on the ground.

"Not particularly, no," Tadashi stated. Shizuka roughly punched him. "What?!"

"_How disappointing,"_ Cyberdramon sighed. _"Here I was thinking I would be getting a challenge."_

Dobermon staggered up to the group, wincing. "He packs a punch."

"That is putting it lightly," Kyubimon muttered.

"Don't have much a choice but to keep fighting. He'd probably catch us if we ran."

"No kidding," Gatomon hissed.

"Hellfire!" Dobermon barked, black fireballs firing from his mouth. Cyberdramon smacked the fireballs aside, racing forward. He lashed out at the dog, leaving an opening for Gatomon to kick the dragon in the side. The attack did nothing to him as he swung with his other arm, hitting the cat in the stomach with one hand and punching Dobermon with the other. Garurumon attempted to jump on Cyberdramon's back, only to be rammed into the ground and kicked away. A moment later Gabumon laid still several feet away.

Kyubimon leaped up and spun, blue flames surrounding her. Soon a dragon made of cerulean fire shot towards Cyberdramon. Grinning, he sidestepped it and dashed towards the fox, grabbing her by the throat. She let out a howl of pain as he slammed her into a boulder, leaving an indent in the rock when he pulled her back out. He dropped her, pleased at the crumpled form laying at his feet.

Daiki shouted a rather choice expletive when she changed back to Renamon.

"Meteor Wing!"

Cyberdramon looked upwards as the meteors came down. He dodged them, weaving in and out before shooting into the air, disappearing. He reappeared above Birdramon, catching her by surprise. His heel hit her directly in the center of her back. The force of the hit sent her crashing into the ground. The bird attempted to get up, only for Cyberdramon to drop down onto her. She cried out, returning to her Rookie stage.

"_Pathetic."_

He positioned his foot over her.

"Biyomon!"

Dorugamon successfully tackled Cyberdramon away from the bird. Shizuka ran over, scooping up her partner and holding her tightly. She looked up when Daiki ran past to kneel beside Renamon, who was slowly pushing herself up. Meanwhile, Cyberdramon kicked Dorugamon off and hopped to his feet. Annoyed, he walked up to where Dorugamon was laying. Wincing, the purple Digimon raised his head to look at Cyberdramon. Before the dragon could attack him, Gatomon slid in between them and was able to claw Cyberdramon's cheek. Sneering, he struck her face with his fist. The cat landed on the ground and slid to a stop. Within moments she had turned back to Salamon. With a loud huff Cyberdramon stepped on Dorugamon hard enough to crack the ground beneath him. Judai shouted as his partner shrunk.

"_I can't believe these are the so-called DigiDestined that everyone has been having trouble with,"_ Cyberdramon said.

He pressed down, making Dorumon cry out.

"_Oh, well. I should delete you all and return to my master."_

"Leave him alone!" Dobermon roared, slamming his side against the dragon. Cyberdramon stumbled to his right, barely catching his balance. "I won't let you hurt any of them!"

"_What exactly do you think _you_ can do? You're just a Champion,"_ Cyberdramon pointed out in a pleased tone, _"and you're _alone_."_

Dobermon lowered his body, staying between the dragon and Dorumon. Cyberdramon smirked and shifted his position.

"_And now I'm going to kill you."_

He lunged. Mikami tightened her grip on her Digivice, the screen erupting into a bright amethyst color that seemed to spread to surround the girl.

"Dobermon Digivolve to…!" The dog grew in size considerably. Three long blades appeared on each of his paws, stopping an inch above the ground. What looked to be the top halves of dogs' heads formed on each of his shoulders. He narrowed his golden eyes, snarling. "Cerberumon!"

"_Hmph…I'm surprised."_ He grinned. _"At least now I'll have a bit of a challenge."_

"Don't think for a moment I'll let you win," the dog growled, "because I'm gonna rip you apart for hurting my friends."

"_Just try."_

Cerberumon lunged, sending the dragon backwards with his hind paws. Judai grabbed Dorumon while Yoko picked up Salamon, and they dashed back to the others. Tadashi was the last to rejoin them, holding Gabumon.

"Um, am I the only one seeing this?" Shizuka asked, pointing to Mikami.

"No. She's glowing."

"What the hell?"

"Shh!"

Cerberumon turned to land on his feet, watching Cyberdramon catch himself. Glowering, the dragon dug his feet into the ground. He bent over, placing one hand on the ground. The dog watched carefully, his eyes tracking every movement. Cyberdramon pushed off, flying forward with his fist pulled back. Cerberumon noticed in time to leap out of the way, the punch missing him by a hair. As soon as his paws touched the ground he jumped at the dragon. Cyberdramon twisted out of the way, his other hand hitting the dog's jaw. Cerberumon's head snapped to the side, allowing the dragon to deliver another punch that made the dog slide across the ground.

"_Come on! Is that all you've got?"_

Cerberumon caught himself and ran forward. Cyberdramon smirked, swinging his leg in order to kick the dog. His foot met with nothing, surprising him. Cerberumon appeared to his left and rammed his shoulder into Cyberdramon, sending the dragon skidding away. While Cyberdramon regained his balance, Cerberumon dashed forward to slice his claws through his opponent's side. Letting out a roar of pain, Cyberdramon whipped around and kneed Cerberumon in the stomach. The dog hit the ground and rolled until he was able to stop himself. When he looked up, Cyberdramon had taken hold of the injury.

"How was that?"

"_Barely a scratch."_

"Really?"

With an annoyed look on his face, Cyberdramon raised his hand. A large spear formed in it and he spun it around to point at Cerberumon. The dog grinned, energy swirling around him.

"Mode change activated," Mikami's Digivice blurted.

His body began to rearrange itself until he took a more humanoid form, two massive head-shaped blasters forming where his hands would be. "Cerberumon Jinrou Mode!"

Shizuka raised her eyebrows. "Here I thought things couldn't get any weirder…"

"_Interesting, but it won't help you."_

"Says you."

Cyberdramon sprang forward, swinging at the spear at Cerberumon. The bipedal dog jumped up over the weapon and kicked the dragon in the face. He landed, one of the mouths closing, and followed the kick by hitting Cyberdramon in the stomach. The dragon staggered back, leaving an opening for a third strike. He fell, landing on his back. Cerberumon attempted to grab him, but Cyberdramon rolled out of the way and stabbed his spear into Cerberumon's shoulder. The dog let out a pained bark and grabbed the weapon, pulling it out of Cyberdramon's grasp while stepping back. He yanked it out, snapping it as soon as he did. Cyberdramon shoved himself up and jumped up to his feet.

Growling, Cerberumon tossed the pieces of the spear onto the ground. Cyberdramon lunged, kicking Cerberumon hard enough to make him hit a nearby rock. The dragon followed the attack by delivering an onslaught that slowly pushed Cerberumon closer to the group of humans and Digimon. Realizing what he was doing, Cerberumon found an opening to grab hold of Cyberdramon's arm. He swung the dragon over his shoulder in order to slam him into the ground, and then spun and threw him away. Cyberdramon twisted and landed on his feet. An uppercut sent him into the air, and Cerberumon jumped up and kicked the dragon in the stomach. Cyberdramon slammed into the ground while the dog moved back. The dragon got to his knees and looked up to see Cerberumon with both of the massive dog heads raised.

With an energy blast from the heads' jaws, Cerberumon sent Cyberdramon crashing into the rock wall. Boulders rained down on him, burying him. When there was no movement, Cerberumon sat down on the ground heavily and de-Digivolved. Breathing out heavily, Impmon slowly stood and turned to look at where his friends were. Mikami smiled at him, and he raised his hand to give him a thumbs-up. She returned it with a soft chuckle. Everyone looked relieved, especially the Digimon partners who had been beaten during the fight.

"What'd ya think?" The imp asked with a laugh, walking towards them. "Impressive or what?"

Renamon smirked. "You did a good job."

"Thanks, babe," he said, winking at her.

There were a few groans from Shizuka, Renamon, and Daiki, but the others laughed. Impmon rubbed the back of his head with a large grin.

Renamon's ear twitched as she raised her head.

The sound of rocks moving was the only warning. One boulder from the pile went flying as a dark energy wave shot out. The fox shouted a warning, but Impmon was too slow to avoid it. The energy tore through his side, leaving a large hole. He collapsed, gasping, while everyone ran forward. Cyberdramon pulled himself out of the rocks and fell to the ground, his lower body gone. Mikami gathered Impmon into her arms, cradling him carefully.

"_Heh…looks like…_I_ have the last laugh,"_ Cyberdramon said, grinning maliciously at the DigiDestined.

Daiki grit his teeth and prepared to retort when the dragon disappeared. He kneeled beside Mikami, grabbing her shoulder. Impmon grimaced, one hand wrapped around his injured side.

"Hey, hang on. We'll go to the Village of Beginnings and get you healed—"

"I don't…think that's gonna…work," the imp hissed, cutting Daiki off. "Damn, this hurts…"

Renamon laid her paw on top of Impmon's hand, her ears lowering.

"Don't say that," Mikami whispered. "You'll be okay."

Mikami's eyes glistened as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "D-don't start crying," Impmon told her. "It's not like we're g-gonna be saying goodbye for good. I'm a…Digimon, r-remember?"

His attempt to comfort did nothing as tears slid down her cheeks. "Shut up, you jerk. You can't go."

The imp snorted out a half laugh and winced. Most of his lower body was gone. "Take care of them, okay?" He whispered. "It's hard tellin' when I'll be back. Wouldn't want any of them gettin' into trouble, would we?"

"You can't…"

She stared as he dissipated, leaving her arms empty. Her breath hitched, prompting Daiki to pull her into his arms gently. Even the others were crying while Daiki and Renamon barely held back their tears.

"Wait, shouldn't he have…why isn't there a Digi-Egg?" Judai asked quietly, confused.

"There's always a slight chance that a Digimon won't reform when they're destroyed," Renamon explained. Mikami gazed at her in disbelief. "But I never thought…I never…" She lowered her head.

Shizuka kicked a rock, growling. "Bullshit!"

They sat there in silence until something caught Renamon's attention. She looked up just as a blue blur shot past them. Everyone but Mikami spun around to see what it was. A large metal bird landed, folding in his wings. Two figures jumped off his back, earning a few surprised words when they saw who they were. Angela and Devimon stood there staring at the group. The blonde looked at the metal bird and motioned upwards. Nodding, he flew back into the sky and headed off.

"What the hell do you two want?" Shizuka demanded.

"Here to beat us while we're down?" Daiki asked, frowning.

Angela let out a long, heavy sigh. "No, we're not."

"I told you they wouldn't like it," Devimon mumbled.

Renamon stood with help from Shizuka. "Then why _are_ you here?"

"I'll explain, just—Mikami?" Angela asked, noticing the girl. She walked up to the group, Devimon trailing behind her. Shizuka prepared to step into the blonde's path, but Renamon shook her head. Angela circled around and kneeled in front of Mikami. "…Mikami?"

The brunette turned to look at Angela, tears still streaming down her face. Angela's eyes widened, finally noticing that the little imp that was always with Mikami wasn't there.

"…I'm so sorry," she whispered, reaching a hand out. Daiki pulled Mikami away from the blonde while glaring, making Angela wince.

"Sure you are," Daiki hissed. "This is probably your fault."

"What? No!" She gasped. "I wrote you the letter, but I swear I never meant for anything to happen to you. That Hawkmon that delivered my message to you must've let one of Laylamon's goons see it." Her shoulders drooped. "I wish we had gotten here sooner."

No one said a word. Most of them glared at her; Mikami, Yoko, Salamon, and Dorumon were the only exceptions.

"Please believe me," she whispered.

Mikami pulled away from Daiki to look at Angela. Hopeful, older girl held out her hand. After a moment of uncertainty, Mikami moved up to her and wrapped her arms around Angela. The blonde held her close, avoiding eye contact with the others.

"You're really with us?"

"I'm with you," Angela answered. "Ever since you came here, I've been trying to beat you. I want all of you to know that I didn't fight you because I wanted to. It's true that I resent a lot of people, but I would _never_ want anyone to die. Laylamon was using me, just like she has many others. I want to make up for what I did when I was under her. That is…if all of you will give me the chance to fight alongside you."

Yoko fidgeted. "I trust you."

"We do too," Judai and Dorumon said.

"You do not appear to be lying," Renamon grunted. "…I will put my trust in you as well."

Gabumon and Biyomon glanced at each other before looking at the anxious young woman. "Us too."

"Yoko trusts you, so I will," Salamon stated.

"I hate the idea," Shizuka muttered, "but Mikami is okay with you, so…"

A feeling of happiness swept over her as she looked at all of them. Her gaze moved to Daiki, who was still glowering at her. He let out a frustrated breath and turned away from her.

"Fine," he spat. "But if you do anything to cross us, I'll make sure you hurt."

"That's fair," she replied with a small smile. "Thank you."

She pulled away from Mikami, causing the brunette to make a disappointed noise. Angela reached up to pull the goggles off of her neck and hold it out to Mikami.

"I want you to have this."

Her hand hovering over the object, Mikami stared in astonishment. "You…you kept them?"

"Tried to keep them in good condition, too," Angela said. "Hard to avoid scratches."

She grabbed Mikami's hand to turn it over and place the goggles in her palm. "Even after everything that happened, after we went our separate ways…I kept them because they reminded me of a happy time in my life." She folded Mikami's fingers over the goggles. "Every time you look down at these goggles, you better think of me."

"What do you mean?" Mikami asked.

"You all have to go home," she told the group, her eyes scanning everyone, "because you have to protect it."

"But you're coming with us, aren't you?"

"I'm not. I've done a lot against our world. I just don't think I'm ready to go back. Besides," she said, "there's a lot of work to be done here. I'm going to do everything I can to stop Laylamon here."

The flapping of wings made the blonde turn. MailBirdramon landed beside Devimon, a serious look on his face.

"A good number of Digimon are on their way here. You have ten minutes."

Daiki narrowed his eyes.

"Great," Angela muttered as she stood. "You should leave now, before they get here. The portal back to the human world will be at Divermon's Lake. It'll become unstable once you go through, so you don't have to worry about anyone following after you, but you do have to get their first. If any of Laylamon's goons got through first, you wouldn't be able to get back home."

"What about you? Won't you be in danger?" Yoko asked.

"I've always been in danger. Comes with being in the Digital World," Angela stated with a laugh, shrugging her shoulders. "At least I'm fighting the good fight now."

"Alright. How are you gonna get there though?" Shizuka asked. "Our partners are too tired to Digivolve."

Angela pointed at the metal bird behind her. "He'll take all of you there."

Daiki goaded Mikami to her feet. She stared at Angela, who pulled the brunette into another hug.

"Stay safe, little sis. I love you."

Mikami swallowed. "You too, sis."

"Enough of the mushy shit!" MailBirdramon exclaimed. "We gotta go now, so climb on before I decide to leave without you! We don't have a lot of time to get to the portal thanks to all the blabbering."

Shizuka glared. "Shut up," she snapped as she trailed over.

Everyone climbed on one by one until it was just Mikami and Angela. The blonde ruffled Mikami's hair affectionately.

"I'll see you after all of this is over. That much I can promise you," Angela whispered.

"Good, because we have a lot of catching up to do," Mikami told her, squeezing her tightly.

They let go of each other so that Mikami could climb onto MailBirdramon's back. Angela waved as MailBirdramon took off. When he disappeared into the distance, she lowered her hand and attempted to calm herself.

"This is your last chance to reconsider," Devimon said.

"We both know it's too late for that. Don't tell me you're having second thoughts."

"As if."

"Are you ready? We'll be here in a couple of minutes."

"Does an Agumon breathe fire?"

Angela smirked. "Guess it's time then."


	25. 24 - Don't Belong

Sorry for the wait, and sorry about this chapter being on the short side. Been rather busy lately. Hope you enjoy it, though!

* * *

"I can't thank you enough for your help. If you hadn't come when you did, Devimon and I would've been killed."

The young woman bowed, attempting to show respect to the bipedal lion in front of her. Devimon, who stood beside her, had a distasteful expression on his face; he clearly wasn't happy about the young woman thanking Leomon, who stood in front of them. When he snorted, Angela rammed her elbow into his side as hard as she could. He grunted, closing his mouth and frowning. The duo had tried to kill Leomon and the DigiDestined just a few weeks ago, so the lion was having trouble processing what was happening.

"It was no trouble," Leomon answered hesitantly. "Why were you…?"

"It's a rather long story," Angela stated, straightening herself. "In short, Laylamon was using a Digimon named Hypnocomon to force me to fight for her. Devimon stopped Hypnocomon, and I decided to fight against Laylamon. Devimon chose to come with me."

The explanation made him hum thoughtfully, silently wondering if what she said was true. Hypnocomon were a more…rare species of Digimon—that was the best way to describe it—and the fact that Laylamon had one in her ranks was worrisome. "Laylamon had a Hypnocomon working for her?"

Devimon eyes the lion, aware of the fact that Leomon was skeptical. "Yep. Little ass ran off."

"Why is that?"

"I scared the shit out of him."

Leomon tapped his arm. "Hmm. How did you find yourself in _that_ particular situation, completely surrounded?"

Realizing that he was referring to the fight that had taken place just a few short minutes ago, Angela spoke up. "I talked with the DigiDestined for a little too long."

"You were speaking with them?" He asked, suspicious. Worry took over his curiosity; the DigiDestined were his friends. If something had happened to them…

Devimon rolled his eyes. "We didn't do anything to them. We just told them who Laylamon was exactly and did our best to convince them to trust us. Can't do much to help people if the ones you're wanting to help don't trust you."

His partner chimed in with, "Which was much easier than I thought it'd be."

"I'm surprised that Daiki kid agreed to it."

"He did threaten me, though."

"Like he'd be able to do anything. I'd beat him if he touched you."

This earned a pleased expression from the blonde. "At least everyone said they'd trust me before they left."

"Left?" Leomon repeated. "Left to go where?"

Sneering, Devimon turned around. "Back to the human world. Look, can we talk about this later? I'm exhausted."

"More like lazy," Angela muttered quietly under her breath.

Letting out a loud breath, Leomon placed his paw against the side of his head and closed his eyes. He was getting a headache talking to the two, but there was still quite a bit he didn't understand due to the fact that they kept distracting each other. How in the world was he supposed to question them when they weren't taking it as seriously as they should be? How could they possibly be so relaxed now, even if the fight was over? The situation was strange, as he and the other Resistance members he was with just happened to stumble across Laylamon's forces. Leomon had been the one to find Angela and Devimon; he was beginning to regret it. Now that he thought about it, he wondered what the others were going to think once they found them. Most of them weren't going to happy. Actually, it was more likely that none of them would be happy.

"Leomon!"

He just had to think about it. He really should stop jinxing himself.

His compatriots made their way over to him slowly, except for Agunimon; the warrior ran towards the lion with a grin. However, once he came closer, he stopped. His eyes were squarely on Angela. As the remainder of their group joined them, their eyes landed on the duo that had caused them many problems over the past few months.

"What the hell are you doing with _them_?" Agunimon cried out unexpectedly, motioning with his hands.

"Agunimon—"

"They're the enemy! The ones we've been trying to get rid of for months!"

"Agunimon, please—"

"Why in the world are you just standing there like that?!"

The fighter was clearly flustered and exasperated by the sight. From where they stood, Angela and Devimon watched them. The blonde was quite understandably uncomfortable.

"That is enough, Agunimon!" Harpymon snapped, clearly annoyed. "Leomon! You have ten seconds to explain yourself."

_Why me?_ The lion wondered. "They're not _against_ us."

The harpy paused. "Come again?"

"We're not fighting against you, we're fighting with you!" Angela declared.

"I do not recall asking _you_, human," Harpymon snapped.

The blonde glanced at her partner with an expression of mild offense. "That was rude."

Her partner grunted loudly. "Very."

"I suggest you be quiet before I force you to be. Now, Leomon, continue."

"It seems these two are no longer fighting for Laylamon," the lion explained.

"Are you absolutely sure about that?"

"They were being attacked by Laylamon's forces earlier. I decided to help them. That is why I was talking to them."

"You should've just let them be attacked," Agunimon muttered under his breath. Lobomon elbowed him. "Well, how do we know this isn't a trap? Huh?"

"You mean besides the fact that they weren't holding back?"

"And _how_ would you know that?"

"Because _I_ jumped in front of one of the attacks, Agunimon. I know just how much power they were putting into their attacks."

"Knock it off, you two," Harpymon said, glaring at them. "Angela. Devimon."

The two partners turned to look at the harpy, who had placed her wings behind her back. "Are you two willing to accompany us to our headquarters?"

Before either of them could answer, Agunimon exclaimed, "What?!"

"Um…what?" Angela echoed.

"You heard me," Harpymon grunted. "Both of you are going to come with us. We're going to interrogate you. If what Leomon says is true, you won't hide any information from us."

Angela looked up at Devimon. The devil shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, making her quietly laugh. When she glanced back at Harpymon, the harpy was clearly annoyed. The blonde grinned slightly before taking in a deep breath to clear her mind.

"Fine by us," she said, nodding. "We'll answer whatever questions you ask."

"Call the others. We're heading back to HQ. Hope you don't mind blindfolds."

Angela's eye widened. "…What'd you say?"

"Good lord," Devimon groaned.

* * *

Already working on the next chapter, so I hope to have it posted about halfway through February!


	26. 25 - No Matter What

Another shorter chapter. Didn't think it I was going to finish this so soon. The next one will be longer. ^^

* * *

"If ya ask me, there ain't ah point tah this. Ah mean, goin' after a tiny settlement in the middle o' nowhere? What can they do tah us? We've got ah force o' that'd scare just 'bout anyone."

The group was making their way through the treacherous Dragon Zone. Information about an outpost of rebels situated in the most remote region within the zone had led them to begin mobilized. While there were rumors about Ragnarok City, no chances were going to be taken until their leader was absolutely sure of the situation; after all, it would be of no use to attack the city if the rumors proved false. A series of agreeing murmurs followed the Deputymon's statement, the group of Digimon deciding that the gunman was correct.

"Do not question Lady Laylamon's orders," a rough voice snapped.

Everyone's heads raised hastily to the Digimon who was in the lead of the group. The dark warrior stopped, making the entire assembly of soldiers stop. Red eyes narrowed; however, it was the multitude of eyes across his body that caused a deafening silence to fall on them. He turned on his heel, gaze locking onto the trembling Deputymon despite the number of Digimon between them. He began to walk forward, prompting his troops to move aside so that they could avoid him. With a heavy stomp, he came to a stop in front of the Deputymon.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

"A-ah—"

"Spit it out!"

"Ah'm sorry!" The Deputymon shouted, pulling his hat down to hide his face.

"I thought so," the warrior growled. "Will you speak out again?"

"N-no, sir."

"Good. Be sure not to. As for the rest of you, I expect you to show respect. We have our orders to rout our Resistance members. Do so with pride."

He stalked back to the front of the company. When he prepared to begin to resume their journey, his head sharply turned left. With a swing of his left sword, he sent out an energy wave that shattered a rock. A squawk followed, a Hawkmon flying off as quickly as it could. Sneering, the warrior turned his attention away from the small Digimon.

"What was that about?"

"Most likely a spy," he answered calmly. "It is none of our concern. I highly doubt that he will return safely to his allies. Let us focus on our mission."

"Yes, sir!" The troops shouted in unison.

~0~

"How are you doing?"

Angela, who had busied herself with staring out the window to look at the sky, focused her attention on Leomon. The lion was leaning against the doorway, arms folded as he watched the duo. Devimon paused in his eating to glance at the lion, a gesture meant to show he recognize that Leomon was talking, before resuming his lunch. Leomon smirked and walked into the room in order to take a seat at the table. Devimon shoved the bowl of fruit over to Leomon, who graciously took one of them to bite into.

"Fine, I guess," Angela answered. "Better than the first day,"

"I'm just loving all the attention the other members give us," Devimon mumbled. He quickly shoved an apple into his mouth.

"It will take some time for them to trust you. Just give them awhile."

"It's been a week."

"And you were fighting against us for several months. You cannot just expect them to immediately see you as anything but enemies."

Angela flinched and turned away to stare out the window again. Leomon breathe out softly and ran his fingers through his mane. He hadn't meant to put it so bluntly, but how else _could_ he say it? There was no easy way of saying what needed to be said without reminding the two of them, especially Angela, of what they had done. Devimon glared at Leomon, biting down on his food rather hard. Leomon gave him an apologetic look, not having meant for that to happen.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Angela said. "I understand where you're coming from. That's the reason why we decided to do this in the first place."

"Really should've seen it coming anyways," Devimon mumbled through his food. "Something will happen to where we can prove to them that we're trying to help."

"I suppose so," Leomon said.

"Hey! You three!"

They spun to see Agunimon and Lobomon standing in the hallway, peeking into the dining hall. "Harpymon called a meeting. Our little 'informant' came back. She said she wanted everywhere in the meeting room to hear what he has to say." With that, the duo hurried down the hall, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Coming," Angela called despite the fact that they had left. "Guess we should hurry before Harpymon rips our eyes out, huh?"

Devimon chuckled, shoving his chair out from underneath him as he stood. Angela slowly stood up and stretched, yawning loudly. Leomon followed them as they walked out, wondering why their informant was back so soon. He was scheduled to be back for another half hour or so. Had something happened? When they walked into the meeting room, the others were already in their spots. Hawkmon was sitting in the center of the table, fidgeting. Something or someone had frightened him.

"Report," Harpymon ordered.

"I found them. They were in the Dragon Zone, just like we heard. And…um…"

"Come on. Say it."

"…Duskmon was leading them. They're heading for one of the smaller villages. Someone tipped them off about the Resistance hideout there. I told them and they already evacuated. They're heading for Ragnarok City through the cave tunnels."

"Good to hear. You're dismissed."

Hawkmon nodded and fluttered out of the room with a sigh of relief. Harpymon let out a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. Leomon knew why.

"Now we know for sure."

"What are we going to do?" Lobomon asked, folding his arms.

"…The only thing we can do. We have to take Duskmon out. There's no other choice."

"No other choice?!" Agunimon shouted angrily. "There is another choice! We get him back!"

"Lowemon is _gone,_ Agunimon. You're going to have to accept that," IceDevimon said.

Leomon couldn't help but shake his head. "He's right. There's nothing we can do. Even we captured Duskmon, there's no telling whether or not we could reverse the corruption of his data."

"So what? We don't even bother trying? He's our friend!"

"He _was_ our friend, Agunimon. Now he's nothing more than a monster," Harpymon muttered, facing away from the angry fighter. "We have to put him down."

Fuming, Agunimon stared before he slammed his fists against the table. He stormed out of the room, punching the door while doing so and leaving a rather large hole in the wood. Sliding a hand down his face, Lobomon followed, mumbling about going to get his friend. Leomon regretted saying anything, but he felt that it was necessary. Agunimon needed to stop living in the past and face the facts. Lowemon wasn't coming back, no matter what they tried.

"Nice going, assholes," Devimon sneered, leaving.

"Sorry," Angela muttered, dashing after him.

Harpymon was silent even as IceDevimon laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Leomon."

The lion stood straight, staring at his leader expectantly.

"Gather the new recruits and have them go through a training exercise."

He nodded, fully aware that she couldn't see him, and turned away. "Yes, ma'am."

In the back of his mind, he wondered if they were making the right decision. What if Agunimon was right?

~0~

Lobomon found his friend sitting on the steps just outside the entrance door to the castle, elbows on his knees, and his head propped up with his hands. The lupine slid down to sit beside him, opting to stay quiet and simply just be there in case he was needed. A withering sigh came from Agunimon, who lowered his head and pressed his palms against the back of his neck. Lobomon understood how he felt; Lowemon was just as much his friend. Having your allies tell you there was no chance of saving someone who had been by your side for years was a terrible feeling—like the words could shatter you just by being spoken.

"Have you ever felt totally, completely useless?" Agunimon whispered.

"More than I can count," Lobomon replied. "Sometimes there's nothing you can do about it."

"…You think they're right, don't you? You agree with them?"

"A bit." When Agunimon prepared to say something, Lobomon continued. "But I don't think they're right about being able to save Lowemon. There must be a way."

The hope in Agunimon's eyes made Lobomon smile slightly.

"You're with me?"

"Lowemon was there for us when no one else would help. What kind of friends would we be if we simply abandoned him?"

Agunimon's eyes locked onto the horizon, where the Desert Zone covered most of the horizon. "We're going after him, aren't we?"

"Does a Bearmon itch its back on trees?"

Smirking, the fiery warrior pushed himself to his feet. "Then let's start right now. How are we gonna do this?"

Lobomon climbed to his feet and said, "How else? We're going to lure him out."

Agunimon slapped his hand against the lupine's back. "Sounds good to me, partner."


	27. 26 - Where You Are Not

This chapter is probably one of my favorites. Haha.

* * *

Unfortunately, the friends once again found themselves falling through the sky.

This time, the fall was only a couple of feet, leading to most of them landing roughly on the ground. Only Renamon and Biyomon were spared the crash, as the fox landed on her feet while Biyomon flew down to land on a bench. The group groaned, slowly picking themselves up off the ground. Yoko and Judai had to be helped to their feet, and Tadashi was dragged up to a standing position. Once everyone was (mostly) on their feet, Shizuka turned to glare at her partner. The bird shifted uncomfortably, clearing embarrassed.

"How and _why_ did you de-Digivolve in the middle of a freaking portal?" She demanded.

"I don't know! It just happened!"

"Just _happened_? How do you just—"

"Take it easy, Shizuka! It's not like she meant to!"

"It doesn't even make sense!"

Daiki huffed loudly, striding over to the twins who were currently butting heads. He grabbed both of them by the back of the shirt and pulled them apart just in time to keep Shizuka from smacking her brother. The girl glared up at Daiki and readied a punch, but the silver-haired male shoved her. She stumbled and grumbled under her breath in anger. When Tadashi was released, he fixed his clothes and opted not to say anything. Daiki folded his arms, staring down at the girl that was muttering to herself.

"This isn't the time," he told her.

He glanced over his shoulder at Mikami. Shizuka followed his gaze and sighed.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Hey, what time is it?" Judai suddenly asked.

Blinking, Yoko looked up. "Looks pretty late. The moon is really high in the sky."

"There's a convenience store a couple of blocks from here. We could check the time there."

"Wonder how long it's been here…"

"We were in the Digital World for about a month, weren't we?"

They began making their way out of the park. As they walked, Daiki placed his hand against Mikami's back and smiled at her. She attempted to smile, but he could tell that it was forced; it just didn't reach her eyes. The group talked as they made their way down the street, discussing their theories on how much time had passed. It was hard telling just how different the time was in the Digital World and in their world. No matter what, they all hoped that they hadn't been gone long.

At the corner of the block, Yoko dashed ahead to reach the store. She waited for the others, clearly eager. Once they reached her, she hurried inside, heading straight for the counter. The clerk jumped at the sight of her, eyes wide.

"Excuse me, but what day is it?" She asked.

"U-uh…May 27th," he said.

"Really?"

"Um…yes?"

She turned, looking at everyone else as they walked in. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Gabumon asked curiously.

"It's been a whole day!"

"What? A day?" Tadashi exclaimed.

"Our parents are gonna skin us alive," Judai groaned.

"I have a feeling Andre is going to lock me in my room," Mikami mumbled, shaking her head.

Sighing loudly, Yoko let his shoulders drop. "My dad isn't gonna let me out of the house for a month."

"We should probably head home," Daiki said, rubbing the back of his head. "Wonder if mom is finally gonna kick me out of the house," he muttered. "Alright, let's go. We can just drop you guys off one by one."

"You'll probably be running off pretty fast anyways," Shizuka replied.

"What's that mean?"

"We all know Yoko's dad is gonna pin the blame on you one way or another."

Frowning, the oldest folded his arms and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah, no kidding. Let's just go. We're not making things any better by stalling. Though I wish it _would_ make it better. I am not looking forward to this…" He whispered the last part under his breath.

The clerk watched them walk out, mouth hanging open. It wasn't until they were long gone that he found himself leaning against the counter. "W-were those monsters? Weren't those the missing kids…?"

~0~

Judai was the first to arrive home.

The others stayed long enough to say goodbye before heading down the street. The blond was left there fidgeting, wondering how in the world he was gonna explain to his parents why he had been gone. He had told Dorumon to hide in the bushes for the time being; the boy wasn't sure how they were going to react to see a small furry creature that could talk. For all he knew, they could have a total freak-out and panic. That was the last thing he needed. It was bad enough that he was going to get crushed by them when they answered the door and saw him standing there.

He had seen the posters when he and his friends had been walking to his house. Their parents had reported them missing.

Taking in a deep breath, he pressed the doorbell and waited.

It seemed like it had been less than a second when the door flung open to reveal his mother. She immediately trapped him in a hug, squeezing him tightly.

"Oh, my baby boy! I was so worried! Where were you?!"

"M-mom…can't…breathe," he gasped.

She let go of him and looked down at him. "My goodness! How did your hair get this long?"

He grinned awkwardly, spotting his father standing behind his mom.

"Mom, Dad, there is a _lot_ that I have to explain. But first things first…"

~0~

Shizuka and Tadashi were next.

They had decided not to hide the truth from their parents. This was because of the fact that their father would be quick to find out that they were hiding something. They were going to explain every detail, from the moment they were sucked into the portal to when they got back. The only thing they weren't going to say was what happened to Impmon. That was personal to all of them, but it was mostly because Mikami wouldn't want anyone to know. The two weren't sure how their parents were going to react, but it was better than lying. Maybe they would think the twins were insane; they wouldn't care.

Tadashi stood back with Biyomon and Gabumon was Shizuka grabbed the spare key hidden in the cactus pot. She unlocked the door and swung the door open, announcing, "We're home!" while doing so.

They found themselves confronted by their dad as soon as they were in the living room.

"And where exactly have you two been?" He demanded. "And why do you have _those_ with you?"

"Hey!" Biyomon exclaimed. "That's rude!"

"Biyomon, shush!" Shizuka said, flicking the bird.

"Look, dad, I'm sorry. We'll explain everything," Tadashi told the man.

"I expect you to."

~0~

"You are grounded for a whole year!"

Yoko shrank back, hiding her face in her hands as she listened to her screaming father. One would think that she would be unaffected by it after having been in the Digital World, but she hated seeing her father upset. He was frightening when he was angry! She found herself being dragged into the living room and being forced to sit down. She watched as he ranted, walking back and forth in front of her with his hands thrown up into the air. He was so frustrated that he hadn't even noticed that Salamon was sitting by the fireplace patiently. The redhead wished her partner would help.

"Dad, please—"

"I can't believe you! I thought you were responsible!"

"I didn't—"

"Those friends of yours are a bad influence!"

"No, they're—"

"I am _never_ letting you near them again!"

"DAD!" She screamed.

He stopped, staring down at her. Listening to him lecture was one thing, but talking about her friends in such a way? There was no way she was going to let him do that!

"It wasn't their fault! We all got…" She trailed off, looking at her partner.

Her dad noticed her gaze and froze at the sight of the Digimon.

"Salamon, help me here, please?" Yoko pleaded.

"What am I supposed to do?" Salamon asked, tilting her head to the side. "You could explain better anyways."

"I-is that a…" Her dad tried to ask the question, but couldn't get the words out of his mouth.

"A talking animal? Kinda?" Yoko offered. "Um…she's a Digimon. My friends and I ended up in the Digital World. We're DigiDestined. She's my partner. Please don't kill me."

Her dad stared, not speaking a word.

"Uh, Dad? Are you okay?

~0~

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Daiki asked once again.

"I'll be fine," Mikami said.

"If you need anything, you know where to find us," Renamon reminded her. "Don't hesitate to talk to us if need be."

"I won't."

She watched them reluctantly leave to head to Daiki's house. She knocked on the door after a moment of hesitation. A voice confirmed that someone was home, followed by the sound of footsteps. The door was opened by her adopted father, he was looking behind him and replying to something his wife said. When he looked forward, his eyes locked onto Mikami. She shifted from one foot to the other, looking away from him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a gentle hug that made her feel ashamed of herself.

"My god, your mother and I have been worried sick," he said, voice cracking. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Andre," she whispered.

Andre carefully grabbed her chin to turn her head towards him. "Did you get hurt?"

"No," she quickly said, before swallowing. "Not much."

He let go of her and ushered her inside. His wife hugged the girl and sat down with her on the couch.

"Are you hungry?" Andre asked.

"Not really," Mikami answered, leaning against Sasha.

The man rubbed the back of his neck. "Honey, what happened? Why'd you disappear like that?"

"…What if I told you…I went to the Digital World?"

Andre stopped and lowered his hand. "What?"

"Should've known you wouldn't believe me," she breathed out.

"The Digital World, huh?" He mumbled. "Guess that makes you a DigiDestined."

Mikami's head shot up to stare at him. "How did you know that?"

He let out a sigh, smiling. "Looks like I have some explaining to do, too."

~0~

"Are you going to kick me out?" was the first question Daiki asked when his mother opened the door.

"No, but I am going to make you sleep in the doghouse," she answered. "Get the hell inside. You two, foxy."

Renamon stifled a glare at the woman, finding the name to be annoying, and followed her partner inside. Daiki went straight to the bridge to dig out a sandwich, making his mother grumble. He chewed on it while waiting for the woman to do something. She lashed a hand out to smack the top of his head, but there was barely any force behind it.

"You have any idea what you put me through?"

"Can't be near as bad as what happened to me and my friends," he replied offhandedly. "You're not gonna say anything about her?" He motioned to Renamon, who was ignoring the duo in favor of looking at the pictures on the wall.

"What? She's a Digimon. Big deal," Nelia said.

"Oh," Daiki grunted. "Am I gonna hear about how you know that?"

"I dunno. Maybe." She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You're not surprised that I know?"

"Honestly, nothing really surprises me anymore."

"So, how'd you end up in the Digital World?"

"We got sucked up into a portal and fell out of the sky," he stated, waving the half-eaten sandwich around. "Landed in a lake. Mikami almost drowned. Lot of things happened after that."

Renamon cleared her throat. "You may not be curious as to why, but I want to know how she knows about the Digital World."

Nelia simply grinned.

x-x-x-x-x

The next morning, they were all at the mall.

While their parents talked with each other, the group of friends and Digimon opted to eat breakfast and relax. After such a long time fighting, they needed a real break. Until something happened, they planned on spending as many days unwinding as they could. Judai was asleep, his head on the table. Yoko was leaning against him with Salamon on her lap and Dorumon on her legs, since she had her legs stretched out on the seat. Biyomon was perched on the back of the bench right behind Shizuka. The lilac-haired girl was stuffing food into her face faster than what should be humanly possible. Her brother was tinkering with his Digivice, which was worrying Gabumon. Mikami had taken a whole bench to herself to lay down and stretch out, though she was wide awake.

Daiki was chugging coffee.

"I was told an excessive amount of coffee is unhealthy," Renamon said.

"Probably is," he said, "but I'm tired."

"Why not take a nap? Judai seems to be doing so."

"He…does that," Daiki mumbled.

"I assume that it's a habit of his?"

"More or less." He downed the rest of his cup. "I'm gonna get some more coffee."

"Daiki," Renamon said, "you've had three cups."

"Yeah, and it wasn't enough."

The fox placed her paw against her snout. She knew why he was drinking so much coffee, but she wished he wouldn't. Nelia had warned her that he probably would and that it wasn't good for him. He hadn't slept well, but that was no excuse for him to be ordering so many cups. The young man came back with not one but two cups, avoiding Renamon's gaze.

"Are you going to tell me why you couldn't sleep?" She asked.

"Back off," he snapped.

"Toriya," she said in warning.

"Don't start on me. Just let me drink my coffee."

"It's unhealthy."

"Oh, look at you. Just because my mom told you that, you suddenly think you're a freakin' expert!"

The shout drew the attention of the others, leading to him yelling, "What're you looking at?"

"Grumpy old man," Yoko whispered with a frown.

He slid the second cup farther away to focus on the first. Renamon was very much tempted to slap it out of his hand, but she didn't want to cause even further trouble. She stood up and walked over to the others, leaning over the back of the bench to look down at Mikami. The brunette waved slightly with her hand as a sign that she acknowledged the fox's presence. Looking down at her, Renamon couldn't help but let her thoughts drift. She had to force herself to stop before she started thinking about things that she didn't need to.

"Anyone want a milkshake?" Shizuka asked suddenly. "I'm in the mood for milkshakes."

The mention of milkshakes seemed to wake up Judai, who opened his eyes to look at Shizuka. "That sounds good. Neapolitan, please."

"Of course you'd wake up for milkshakes," Yoko said with a giggle. "Strawberry for me!"

"Vanilla," Tadashi said, not bothering to look up from his Digivice.

Shizuka stood up to lean over the table, looking at Mikami. "What about you?"

"Rocky Road, I guess."

"Kay, I'll be back."

When she walked off, Renamon turned her attention back to Mikami. "I'm sorry to ask, but is Daiki always this bad when he isn't able to sleep?"

This caused Mikami to sit up and turn around to face the fox. "He didn't get any sleep?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. He woke up several times last night."

"Do you know why?"

"He won't tell me. Considering the fact he was tossing and turning, he either couldn't get comfortable or was having nightmares."

"I'll talk to him," Mikami said, looking at the silver-haired boy with a hint of concern.

"You also look rather tired."

The brunette waved her off. "I've never been able to properly sleep unless I'm buried in blankets."

"And you weren't?" Renamon asked with a hint of amusement.

"I was," Mikami replied, "but I kept waking up to snack on food."

"Never imagined that you'd be one to do that," Tadashi commented.

She shrugged at the statement. "I missed having Sasha's food. You can't blame me for that."

"She is a really good cook," Yoko admitted.

Shizuka came strolling back to the table with a tray that had their milkshakes on it in her hands. She set it down with a grin, a smug look on her face. One by one she set down their milkshakes in front of them, and then she took her seat while grasping her mug. Judai dug in quickly, using the spoon to shovel it into his mouth. Mikami took a bite, eyeing Shizuka with curiosity.

"What'd you do?" She asked.

Shizuka placed her hand against her chest, trying to stifle the smile. "Who? Me? Nothing!"

"Spit it out."

"I just got these at a discount, that's all!"

"Did you threaten the poor man?"

This made Shizuka grin again. "Actually, no. It was a girl. She said, "I'm giving you a fifty percent discount 'cause you're so pretty. Don't tell my boss!" Never would've thought that would happen!"

Mikami stared at her, dropping her spoon into her milkshake. "What?"

"I'm being completely serious right now."

"Did you find yourself a girlfriend?" Tadashi teased, keeping his gaze down.

"Aw, is someone jealous? Besides, I already have a girlfriend!" At this, Shizuka grabbed Biyomon and held the bird in her arms. "See?"

"Biyomon is not your girlfriend."

The bird in question closed her eyes and shook her head. "I have no idea what is going on, but I do _not_ want to know. Please let go of me."

"You should ask that girl out," Yoko said while struggling to keep a straight face.

Shizuka released her partner and elbowed the redhead beside her in the ribs. "Come on, you guys, I don't do dating. Besides, what makes you think I swing _that_ way?"

The humans all stopped to stare at her, making her burst out laughing when she noticed that even Daiki had focused onto her. "You guys are jerks!"

"I'm confused. You all make it seem as if females liking one another is a strange occurrence," Renamon said, titling her head to the side.

Tadashi smirked. "It's not, but it's fun teasing Shizuka since she hits on a lot of people."

"I do not!" The girl objected. "Okay, maybe I hit on people every now and then."

"I see."

"You know what that means?" Judai asked the fox.

"Believe it or not, but it is not uncommon in the Digital World for Digimon to flirt."

"Huh. I never would've guessed."

"So, does Shizuka limit herself to females?"

Mikami snorted. "Oh, no, she flirts with girls _and_ guys. You never got to see her doing it in the Digital World, but it's a work of art when she starts."

"Our partners do not need to know this information!" Shizuka declared, slamming her hand onto the table. "I demand retribution!"

This prompted Daiki to shout, "Too bad!" She shot a glare over to him, but it was clear that it was fake. Everyone at the table suddenly began to laugh, Digimon included, and Shizuka covered her mouth trying to not. Their parents were looking at them from across the food court, but they didn't care. This was the first time in a long time that they had hung out like this without trying to tear each other's throats out. It was nice! Renamon excused herself, letting them continue with their banter, and trotted back over to her partner.

He looked at her and brushed his fingers through his hair. "So, is Mikami okay?"

"She…appears to be doing better," Renamon said, sitting beside him.

"That's good. I've been worried about how…" He trailed off, playing with his cup. "…How what happened might affect her."

"Why is that?"

"She's always had a strong reaction to the people close to her leaving," he whispered. "Ever since she was little. I was hoping that she wouldn't become withdrawn again."

"But why would she?"

"I told you that she lost her parents when she was little, didn't I?" When the fox nodded, he put his palms against the table. "What happened scarred her. I was the only person she told. One of the few people who actually know what happened, too. I won't tell you everything, but it was her dad that led to her becoming an orphan. She saw everything." He lowered his head, massaging his temples. "I was afraid that losing Impmon might drive her over the edge again. I guess we were lucky."

"It wasn't that we were lucky. We were there for her to lean on." Renamon grabbed the cup of coffee away from Daiki, but there was no complaint from him. "She's still hurting. It's not hard to see. We'll just have to continue to stay by her side."

Daiki looked at the girl in question with a smile. "I don't mind that in the least."

* * *

I love this pairing!


	28. 27 - Day After Day

"We're going on a trip."

The announcement had startled her, as she had been rather focused on the sketchbook she was doodling in. Seeing as how she had taken to staying at home rather than going out, her friends had bought her a small, black sketchbook. At first she had thought that it was a joke, but they had gotten it so that she had something to preoccupy herself with since there wasn't much else for her to do. Looking up from the book, she found Andre and Sasha standing in her doorway. The woman had an excited look on her face, making Mikami nervous. Sasha always did have a different idea of things that were "fun" or "exciting" than Mikami did.

"A trip to where?" She wasn't very interested in it, but if she didn't ask, Sasha would pout.

"A campsite."

She had been flipping a page when Andre answered, making her stop with the page straight up. "We're going camping?"

Andre nodded, clapping his hands together. "That's right. We're going to Urugi."

"How come? Just wondering."

"We thought it would be good for you to get out of the house," Sasha said. It was clear by her voice that she was excited.

"I don't see why," Mikami replied.

"Besides the fact that you've been cooped up in the house unless your friends invite you out?" Andre offered.

The brunette waved her hand around. "It hasn't been that long since we got back."

"Speaking of your friends," Sasha interrupted, bouncing on her feet, "their parents are taking them on trips too!"

The statement made Mikami stop. She tilted her head to look at the woman, who promptly planted her feet firmly on the floor when noticing the girl's gaze. Mikami leaned against her desk with a huff, playing with her hair absentmindedly while she thought about the fact that her friends would be leaving the city. As the ones with Digimon, it was going to be up to them to fight invading Digimon. If one came into their world and attacked the city, then what? They couldn't exactly rush back. Most vacation spots were quite a distance away, so it would take a while. Shizuka and Biyomon would be the only two could get back to the city. She glanced out of the corner of her eye, watching Sasha disappear as the oven alarm went off.

"Do you know where they're going?" She asked.

"We spoke to their parents. All of us agreed to go to different camping spots."

_Great._ She was tempted to smack her sketchbook against her forehead. _Just great. Leave it to the grown-ups._

"We'll be leaving tomorrow, so make sure you're prepared. 6 o' clock on the dot, champ," Andre said, ruffling her hair.

She smacked his hand away with an audible huff. "What about Daiki?"

"Daiki's staying here in the city, since he's going to be working." The sheriff folded his arms. "Why are you wondering?"

"One of us has to stay here, y'know," she answered, standing up. She stretched her arms out. "6 AM, huh?"

"That's right. Might as well get your stuff together now, kiddo."

He rubbed her head again, making her grunt as she pushed him away. "Honey, you know we're doing this for you, right?"

She looked at him for a moment before she turned her back to him. How was going on a camping trip doing something for her? What good would that do for her? Or for any of them for that matter. All that it accomplished was separating the again. That was the last thing she needed. She wanted her friends to be close by, not far away from her.

A hand on her shoulder make her pause in her thoughts. Andre gently goaded her into sitting on her bed and took a seat beside her.

"I know it's hard, Mikami," he said quietly. "Something like that is hard to get over. But you have to realize that you need to take some time for yourself."

The brunette wrung her hands together. "There are more important things. You of all people should know that."

"You can't do the things that matter if you don't take care of yourself." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to hug her. "I know you went through a lot. You did things most people couldn't. That's why I want you to just try to relax over the weekend. For me?"

Letting out a sigh, Mikami didn't bother to try to get away from him. "You play dirty, Andre. Fine. I will."

"You know I'm here for you if you need me, don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know.

He grinned, a sight that made him seem much younger than what he was. "Are you finally gonna call me dad?"

"You're good, but you're not _that_ good."

~0~

"A good old fashioned vacation," Shizuka muttered. "We're supposed to be excited about this, right? So why can't I get excited?"

Mikami had spent a couple hours mulling over what to do when she settled on getting the group together. A few phone calls later, they were back at the mall, enjoying some hamburgers and soda. All of them, Digimon included, didn't feel like splitting up. They didn't have much say in the decision, though. The humans' parents had been rather adamant on dragging them out of the city. Well, aside from Daiki. The only reason why he and his mom weren't going anywhere was because they had jobs they couldn't take days off from. It was a good thing though. That meant at least one of them was in the city.

"I don't want to go camping," Yoko said, poking her plate with a french fry. "I don't want to spend the weekend away from you guys."

"Look on the bright side," Gabumon began, only to stop. "Um…I can't think of anything."

"There isn't a bright side," Tadashi said. "If this was during any other time, maybe it _could_ be fun. But right now, when we're supposed to be defending our world?"

Renamon raised her snout with a sniff. "I do agree that this seems illogical."

"That's an understatement," her partner grunted.

"Not like you have much room to complain," Shizuka said, jabbing the oldest of their group in the ribs. "You get to stay."

"And work. Or did you forget about that part?"

"Man, it's gonna be a long weekend," Judai mumbled with a sigh.

"You guys better call if anything happens," Mikami said, pointing her finger at all of them. "If you don't, I'm gonna beat all you into the ground."

"Don't worry! I'll protect Shizuka," Biyomon stated, puffing out her chest.

Salamon nodded in agreement. "We'll all take care of our partners. I promise."


	29. 28 - Brave Heart

I was going to update sooner, but I've been busy with things.

* * *

"It's not too bad. Aside from it being a bit chillier at night than I thought it'd be."

Her dad grunted in reply, digging around in the box that was near the cot. The thing was full of various items, which were steadily being scattered about on the ground by the man. Sitting at the tent door was Yoko, who was watching her mom cook breakfast over the campfire. She knew her dad wasn't actually paying attention to her; she just felt like talking at that moment. Maybe it was because she was used to being near at least one of her friends just about every day. No matter if they were at school or on vacation, they had stayed together. Back in the Digital World, talking with them had been the only way that she kept herself calm enough to think. The stress would have driven her nuts if they hadn't been around.

"It is a bit nippy," Salamon commented.

Yoko looked at the pup. Salamon was buried in a pile of blankets that Yoko's mother had turned into a makeshift bed for the Digimon. She was hardly visible underneath the mass of fabric; the upper half of her face was the only thing that could really be seen.

"But you're covered up," the redhead pointed out with a laugh.

"You could always come join me."

Yoko grinned and hopped up. "Not a bad idea!"

She scooped up a blanket from the bed and plopped down behind Salamon. Throwing the blanket over her, Yoko wrapped it around her and Salamon, pulling her partner as close as she could before picking her up and placing her in her lap. A few feet away, her dad chuckled at the sight. When Yoko noticed, he turned away and continued his search. He wasn't face enough to keep her from spotting him smirking. She snuggled close the pup in her lap, a wide smile on her face. Salamon had a content look on her face.

"This is much warmer."

"Just because of my body heat," Yoko said, grinning. "I'm so glad it's Sunday already."

Her dad, having heard the comment, stated, "We've only been out here for a day."

"I miss everyone," she replied.

"You hang out with them too much. They're bad influences."

Groaning, Yoko let her head hang down. "Why's he have to be like that?" She whispered the question with annoyance in her voice.

"He worries about you."

"He doesn't need to. I'm not some little girl who can't defend herself anymore."

Salamon craned her neck upwards to stare at the redhead. The expression on Yoko's face worried her, but the girl rubbed her hands against her face. When she lowered them, she was once again smiling.

"I guess it doesn't matter. It just drives me crazy because he always does that." She ran her fingers along Salamon's back absentmindedly. "He knows the reason why I'm able to stand up for myself now is because of Daiki and Mikami."

Her dad pulled his head out of the duffle bag he was messing with to look at the girl. "Yoko, do you know where the GPS is?"

"That's what you were looking for?" Yoko asked, giggling. "You left it in the car."

Grumbling under his breath, Hurren pushed himself to his feet and made his way out of the tent. She leaned forward to watch him only to see her mother laughing at him. She wondered why he wanted the GPS. Maybe he had something planned. If so, she was more than likely going to object. She would rather stay in the tent covered up than go outside to participate in whatever activity he was thinking about. Salamon made a curious noise, nudging her partner to get the girl's attention. Yoko looked at her.

"What is a GPS?"

"Global positioning system. It lets you see where you are and how to get to places."

The pup tilted her head to the side. "Why would he need that?"

"I have no idea, but I'm not looking forward to it."

"It could be fun."

"That'd be a first," Yoko said jokingly. "He has a really different idea of fun than I do."

A cry of, "Aha!" drew their attention. Yoko's father was holding up the small GPS, rather pleased that he had found it. He motioned for Yoko, making her sigh. She stood up and let the blanket fall on top of Salamon. The Digimon stuck her head out to watch the redhead head over to the man. Yoko knew he was up to something; she just hoped it wasn't one of his usual plans. If it was, well, she was going to run for her life.

"We're going to go walk some trails," he explained, "and go see the waterfall."

"Is that all?" Yoko asked. A waterfall? There was no way it was going to be anywhere near as impressive as everything she had seen in the Digital World.

"There's a cave behind it we can go into. There's supposed to be a tunnel that leads to a hot spring."

This made the girl gasp. "A hot spring?!" She exclaimed, bouncing on her feet. "Let's go!"

"I knew you'd like that! Let's get everything secured and then we'll head off."

Yoko dashed back to the tent, almost throwing herself down onto the bed as she grabbed her backpack.

"Okay, since I know you probably don't wanna walk for that long," the redhead said, "I'm gonna empty this thing out and put all your blankets in there so I can carry you. Don't worry; I won't zip it up."

Salamon wondered if her partner had just gone insane. Yoko pulled Salamon from her nest and proceeded with stuffing the blankets into her backpack. She made sure to leave a space in the center, which she deposited Salamon into. The pup was thoroughly confused, but she wasn't going to complain. After all, this was a chance for her to avoid walking. Normally she wouldn't mind trotting along a few paths, but she wanted a little longer to relax. Yoko pulled up the zipper enough to make sure Salamon wouldn't fall out, leaving plenty of room for her to poke her head out. The redhead was careful when slipping the backpack onto her shoulders.

"I'm ready!" She stated, hopping out of the tent. "Oh, I can't wait to soak in the hot spring!"

"Calm down, kiddo. We need to get there first," her mother told her, though the woman was finding her daughter's reaction to be funny.

Her father put their valuables into their car and locked it. "Alright, time to go."

Yoko's mom couldn't hold back a laugh. "What about breakfast?"

"Oh, right. I forgot," Yoko said.

"Come on, you two. Let's eat before you run off and complain about being hungry."

"I would never," Hurren grumbled.

0~0~0

It was quite a while after eating that they found themselves closing in on the waterfall. Hurren had asked about Yoko's time in the Digital World, so she and Salamon told them the story. They left out a few details on purpose, but told him nearly everything. Seeing as how he knew about the Digital World already, they figured there wasn't a point in hiding anything from him. Her mother was listening to music, so they were pretty much in the clear. Hurren's reactions varied; when she mentioned the times that she had found herself in danger, he seemed to tense up. Telling him about the various successful battles and saving Digimon made him smile ever so slightly.

"Sounds like you went through quite a lot."

"I think that's a bit of an understatement, dad."

"What about Mikami? Where's her partner?"

Yoko could feel Salamon shift and whine quietly. She could understand why. Impmon had been her friend and had done everything he could to keep her and the others safe. Yoko hadn't thought about how any of the Digimon felt; it probably affected them more than the humans, besides Mikami.

"If you really want to know, ask Mikami," Yoko told him. "I don't think it's my place."

Her father's face fell, understanding what she meant. "I see. Alright. Well, I'm proud of you. You helped a lot of Digimon."

Smiling, the girl nodded. "By the way, how do you know about the Digital World?"

He turned to her, tapping her on the nose. She made a noise, scrunching up her face. "I think that's a story for another time," he said. "There's the waterfall."

She knew he was avoiding answering her, but she didn't mind. He turned around and yanked the earbud out of his wife's ear, pointing at the waterfall. Yoko dashed down the trail leading to behind the waterfall. Her parents caught up to her quickly, scolding her for running off. They could tell she wasn't paying the least bit of attention to what they were saying, however.

"Why are you so excited for hot springs?" Salamon asked.

"I haven't been to one in years! We used to go all the time until dad started working more. Are you gonna join me when we get there?"

"Of course I will."

"Good! I was gonna make you anyways."

"How nice of you."

"Yep! I'm the nicest person ever!"

They made their way behind the waterfall. Salamon seemed curious about it, but Yoko was in too much of a hurry to listen to her. The pup could understand to an extent, thought she wished Yoko would calm down. Her level of excitement was rather impressive. Had she always been like this? The answer was more than likely yes. Though she did wonder; Yoko had mentioned something earlier that Salamon realized was a bit odd. _'I'm not some little girl who can't defend herself anymore.'_ What had she meant by that? Obviously it would have been harder for her to stand up for herself at a young age. So why had she sounded resentful? Yoko probably wouldn't answer her if she asked, so Salamon kept quiet. There was no point in making the girl talk about something that she clearly didn't look back on fondly.

It took them a little over ten minutes to reach the bath house. Yoko burst through the doors, throwing her arms up into the air happily. She immediately dashed into the changing room as soon as her mother handed her what Salamon guess was her bathing suit. Salamon waited patiently outside the room, the receptionist fawning over her. It was a strange thing, though she would be lying if she didn't admit that the look on the woman's face while she was petting the pup wasn't funny. Even so, being doted on by someone other than Yoko was a bit strange.

The redhead came bouncing out of the room wearing a white one piece, a giddy look on her face. She scooped up Salamon and ran to the entrance to the girls' side.

"You're gonna _love_ this!" She declared.

"I would hope so."

Yoko set Salamon down on the edge of the pool and slipped in. She looked at Salamon, who was already sliding into the water. The warmth had been noticeable as soon as they entered the room, but once in the water, Salamon noticed just how warm it was. It had an immediate relaxing effect on her that made her sigh lightly. Beaming, Yoko settled down and leaned her head back.

"How's it feel?" Yoko asked. She already knew the answer.

"It feels great."

"All the aches and pains just kinda flow out of you. This is why I always loved hot springs."

"I can see why."

"After a long week of school, dad would bring mom and me here to relax. Since I—" She paused, staring up at the ceiling. "I, uh, used to get bullied a lot. It was easy for kids to pick on someone who didn't like to fight. Soaking in the hot spring made it easier."

"'Used to'?"

"Yeah, before I met Mikami and Daiki."

Salamon tilted her head to the side. "When did you meet them?"

"It's been about four or five years," Yoko said, a reminiscent look on her face. "A bunch of kids had me cornered on the playground and were beating me. Daiki and Mikami showed up and Mikami just watched as Daiki beat all the kids up." She laughed. "As soon as they all ran off, Daiki looked at me and said, 'What's up, sis?' It was the weirdest thing. After all, I hadn't met him before! Both of them stuck around me anytime they could after that. I didn't like it at first because I thought they were just pitying me, but they both said they enjoyed my company. We just became friends after that."

"They really do care about you, huh?"

"I'm lucky to have them, that's for sure," Yoko whispered. "Okay! Enough of that! What do you think of this world so far?"

"It's definitely different from the Digital World," Salamon said. "It's calmer. And the way you humans get around is a bit weird."

"What? Cars? You haven't even gotten a chance to ride on airplane!"

"An airplane? What is that?"

The redhead giggled and tried her best to explain to her partner. She was reminded of when she was little; she would always pester her parents into telling her about things, from little things to how machines worked. Salamon wasn't like that, of course, but having to put into words what exactly an airplane was made her think of her father teaching her the things she wasn't taught in school.

"…and that's what an airplane is!" She declared. "What do you think?"

"Sounds a bit scary," Salamon admitted. "Being inside a giant metal contraption? It doesn't sound nice…"

"I was scared the first time I rode in one, but it's not as bad as it sounds! They have little screens that you can watch movies on and—"

_Boom!_

Startled, Yoko threw her arms back to grab the side of the spring as the ground shook. Salamon latched onto the girl's arm, eyes wide. Once the shaking stopped, Yoko grabbed Salamon and scrambled out of the water. She dashed out of the room to find the receptionist cowering behind the desk. Salamon was set on the floor so the redhead could check on the woman.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"T-there was a huge—"

"Where are you_, DigiDestined?_"

Frozen in place, Yoko felt a chill go up her spine. "Oh, no." She spun around and ran to the door. "Come on, Salamon!"

"Yoko! Where are you going?" Her father shouted, having exited one of the other rooms.

"Stay in here, dad, I'll be back soon! Just make sure mom and the receptionist stay safe!"

She could hear him yelling at her, but ignored him and instead grabbed the door handle. He would be mad at her later, and probably yell at her, but there were more important things to worry about than her own wellbeing. One of Laylamon's underlings had somehow found a way to her world, and she wasn't going to let him stay without a fight.

She swung the door open but stopped, staring. Her eyes trailed upwards to the face of the massive Digimon standing there. She took a step away from the armored ox, hand fumbling for her Digivice. The Digimon raised one of the swords in his hand and swung it downwards. Yoko jumped to her left while Salamon leaped to her right in time to avoid the weapon. It hit the ground and dug into the ground, shattering the stone walkway.

Pulling out her Digivice, Yoko looked down at it as it scanned the beast in front of her.

"Vajramon. He's an…an Ultimate?!"

The sound of stone against made her wince. She watched as Vajramon pulled his sword out and look down at her.

"You're rather fast for a human."

Paralyzed with fear, Yoko could only stare. The expression on the Digimon's face shifted to disappointment as he raised the sword once again.

"Too afraid to move. That's pathetic."

He swung the sword down. Yoko closed her eyes, shaking.

"I won't let you!"

Her eyes snapped open to see Gatomon slam her foot against the sword with enough force to redirect its path. It hit the ground only a few inches away from Yoko, who turned her head to gape at it. The cat landed and looked back at her in concern. The redhead was in disbelief, wondering how her partner had Digivolved.

"Don't worry, Yoko, I'm here for you. I'll protect you."

"G-Gatomon…"

"It's okay to be afraid, you know, but you need to get up."

The look of determination in Gatomon's eyes made the girl swallow past the lump in her throat. Nodding, Yoko slowly got up, still shaking. She had a duty as a DigiDestined to fight, no matter how afraid she was. It was time that she stop cowering in the face of danger. Squeezing the device in her hand, she glared up at Vajramon, who was now watching with curiosity.

"You may be big, but we'll still beat you! I won't let you hurt the people I love!"

White light burst out of her Digivice, engulfing both her and Gatomon.

"Gatomon Digivolve to…"

The cat began to grow, her body elongating and becoming more humanoid. A white glove with two wing-like protrusions materialized on her left hand. A ribbon wound around her right arm, up over her shoulders, and down her left arm. A helmet formed on her head, obscuring the top portion of her face.

"…Angewomon!"

"So you were able to Digivolve," Vajramon rumbled. "No matter. I'll still kill you!" He shouted, swinging the sword down.

The angel spun around and scooped Yoko up into her arms before flying upwards, dodging the sword in the process. The massive weapon hit the ground, causing dirt to be flung up into the air. She set Yoko down a safe distance away and smiled at the girl.

"Be careful," Yoko said.

"Don't worry about me. Stay where you'll be safe."

Angewomon turned and set off into the air. Vajramon had hefted his sword up once again when she stopped a short distance in front of him. He glowered at her, moving one sword back to prepare a swing. The angel raised her left hand, a sign to show that she was challenging him. With a swift movement, he swung the sword at her. She dodged to her right.

"I won't stand for you threatening my friend," Angewomon stated. "I would like if this could be settled peacefully, but I don't think that's an option."

"You're right. It's not."

Angewomon moved her other hand up. The wings on her glove grew and a string of energy connected them, forming a bow. Hooking the string with her index finger, she pulled it back, an arrow forming as she did so. She let the arrow loose, striking him in the shoulder. The second sword came from below her. She barely moved out of the way in time to avoid it, watching it pass by her. She prepared another arrow when she found Vajramon viciously swinging both swords as fast as he could. It made it hard for her to dodge the attacks.

_He's trying to keep me from firing my arrows…_, she thought. _He's a lot faster than I thought he'd be._

She let herself drop down, surprising the ox, and flew off to the side quickly. She pulled the bow string back and shot him in the left foreleg. Vajramon bellowed and turned to stab her with one of his swords. She twisted out of the way and shot an arrow through his wrist. Growling, he swung the other weapon at her. She folded her wings in front of her, a shield made of pink energy forming. The sword hit it, sending her backwards into a nearby tree. The sound of cracking made her move in time to watch the tree fall.

_That was a rather hard hit._ Angewomon ducked out of the way of another swing, frowning. Nocking another arrow, she shot him in the shoulder again. Several more followed, causing Vajramon to drop the sword in his left hand. A swing made her sidestep, the ox's blade hitting the ground and leaving a large gouge when it was removed. She fired arrows at his leg, causing it to buckle. He caught himself and took another swing at her. She raised a hand, a ring of energy surrounding Vajramon that made him freeze.

"What—!"

Angewomon put her arms in front of her, palms together. As she moved her arms back, a large four-pointed star made of pink energy formed in the space between her hands. "Consider this your punishment! Heaven's Charm!"

The energy shot towards the ox and rammed into him, tearing through him. He dropped his remaining weapon. Both shattered into bits of data as he disappeared.

Angewomon landed on the ground and turned at the sound of Yoko's voice. The redhead let out a cheerful cry and threw her arms around Angewomon. With a laugh, the angel put her hand on her partner's shoulders.

"That was amazing! I can't believe it!"

"I couldn't have done it without you," Angewomon said.

Yoko yelped when the Digimon suddenly shrank, landing on the ground as Salamon. The pup laughed sheepishly. "Oops. Guess I ran out of energy. We should probably go get your parents."

"Haha, yeah. They're gonna be really worried." Yoko scooped up Salamon with a wide smile. "What are we gonna tell the others?"

"We'll figure that out when we see them. I want to relax. Vajramon did get a pretty good hit in."

"Sounds good to me!"

* * *

The fight scene was a little weak since I've had a bit of writer's block. The focus wasn't really on the fight anyways, so I guess it's not too bad. In other news, if you've ever had questions concerning the story, or want to ask the characters questions, you can do so on my tumblr. Here's to hoping I can update again soon!


	30. 29 - What I'm Made Of

**A/N:** I'm gonna be fixing up some stuff in the chapters, like dialogue and things. The first half of the prologue has basically been replaced. While I liked it, it just didn't fit in with the story. The author's notes will also be removed, this one included once I'm done with all the rest of it. From now, I'm going to reserve them for information regarding the story, or thoughts on the chapter. I'll try to have the next update out as soon as possible. School had me busy, as I had a few projects that required most of my attention and some personal struggles. I'm officially done with school, so I should have some more free time…for a couple of months, anyway.

* * *

Judai found himself awake just as the sun was coming up. He wasn't used to being an early riser; he typical slept in. After a few minutes of trying to get back to sleep, he carefully sat up and watched the sunrise. His time in the Digital World had messed with his sleep schedule, so he wasn't too surprised by the fact that he had woken up so early. Being chased by Digimon who are out to kill them was mostly to blame for that. He wasn't complaining though. Things could've gone terribly wrong for them.

Not that what happened hadn't been bad. It had been _horrible_.

He rubbed his eyes, fighting a yawn. Thinking about that just made him feel terrible. To get his mind off of it, he looked down at his partner. Dorumon was sleeping soundly beside him, curled up with his own blanket wrapped around him. The little Digimon had been sleeping longer than Judai, having fallen asleep before him. How he could still be asleep was beyond Judai, but the boy was glad his friend was getting some much deserved rest.

Nature called, so Judai slipped off the bed and into the bathroom. When he came back out, Dorumon was awake—or at least half-awake—and blinked a few times before his eyes landed on Judai.

"Oh, hey," Judai said. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No," Dorumon mumbled. "Why are you up?"

"Had to go to the bathroom." He walked over and sat down, stretching his arms out. "So, what do you think we should do today?"

"Relax and sleep?"

"We can do that when we go back. There's a lot of stuff you haven't gotten to see yet."

"You're gonna keep treating me like a dog, aren't you?" Dorumon asked, ears lowering.

"We have to, bud. You know that. Who knows what the hotel management would think if they found out you're a monster from a different world. They'd probably freak out."

"But it's weird. I don't like it."

The boy grunted, trying to think of a way to make his friend feel better. "How about this: I won't pretend you're a dog after today. That good?"

"Really?"

Judai laughed, rubbing Dorumon's head. "Yep. Promise."

"…Okay," Dorumon said. "Can we get some food? I'm hungry."

"Sure. Let me jot down a note to stick on the door so mom and dad know where we went."

He found a stack of sticky notes, luckily, and quickly scribbled down that they were going down to the cafeteria for breakfast. He grabbed the keycard for the room and ushered Dorumon out. Once the door was shut, Judai made sure the sticky note was attached to the door before heading down the hallway. Neither he nor Dorumon were worried about hiding the Digimon. There had been an "incident" the day before, so the cafeteria workers knew Dorumon. They didn't know _what_ he was; Judai and his parents had told them that Dorumon was an exotic animal who had gotten into some non-toxic hair dye. It was pure luck that the workers had bought it, but Judai was glad they did.

The duo was greeted by a rather cheerful woman as soon as they entered. She waved the ladle she held in her hands at them, having no concern for the bit of food on it. Judai smiled and waved back, laughing.

"Morning! You're up awfully early!" She commented.

"Way earlier than normal," he said. "Any suggestions for breakfast?"

"How about this sausage and gravy? Josh made it. It's really good!"

"Josh?"

"The American who works here! He said it's his special recipe. I had some earlier and it's mouthwatering!"

"You sound like a commercial," Judai said with a laugh. "Sure, I'll try it."

"Coming right up! Does the little guy want some too?"

She looked down at Dorumon when she asked. Blinking, the Digimon rapidly nodded his head, eager to try the food. Grinning, the woman used the ladle to scoop up the food and put in into a couple of bowls.

"Do you want to eat it with a spoon or with bread?"

"Um…just a spoon, please."

"Okay!"

She stuck the spoon in one of the bowls and held both out to Judai. With a 'thank you,' he walked over to one of the tables and sat down. Dorumon hurried over, hopping onto one of the chairs. The blond set his bowl down in front of him and slid the other over to where Dorumon could reach. The Digimon happily dug in. Judai nearly spit out the bite he had taken while watching his partner.

They didn't talk much. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but that there really wasn't much _to _talk about—nothing that they hadn't already talked about, at least. Neither of them wanted to discuss their time in the Digital World and Judai wasn't in the mood to explain anything. Instead, the two enjoyed their food in peace. They were starting on their second serving when Judai's parents came into the room. He looked up at them and took a bite of his food.

"Enjoying yourselves?" His dad asked. "So, what're you eating?"

"Sausage and gravy."

"Ah." The man slid into the seat beside his son and leaned forward. "Why are you up so early? You normally sleep in."

Judai shrugged. "I just couldn't sleep. Aren't you going to eat?"

"Ha-ha, yes. Honey, will you get me some egg rolls and coffee?"

"Of course, darling."

Judai stuck his tongue out with a laugh. "You two are gross."

"Son, one day you'll find the person of your dreams and marry them."

"Yeah, well, I hope we're not as gross as you."

Judai found his hair being ruffled and attempted to push his father away from him while laughing. While the two tussled, the blond's mother slid a plate in front of her husband and sat down. Noticing the food, the boy's dad pulled away to begin eating. Dorumon finished his bowl, licking his lips clean.

"What do you want to do today?"

"We didn't go on any really exciting rides yesterday, so I was thinking about riding one of the roller coasters today."

"I think I like that idea. I'll ride with you."

Judai's mom chuckled. "Hope you two have fun with that. I'll stay with Dorumon instead."

"Aw, come on, mom. It'll be great."

She smiled. "Have fun."

"Okay, okay. Don't bite my head off."

Half an hour later, the family was walking through Fuji-Q Highland to head to the Fujiyama. Judai was excited to ride it. When they were finally standing in line, he was rocking on the heel of his feet to contain his enthusiasm. His mom took Dorumon and headed off.

_I should probably be worried about that, but who cares! I get to ride the Fujiyama!_

"Calm down there, champ. I don't remember you ever being quite this excited about this kind of thing."

"To be fair, I was gone for a whole month. I learned a _lot_ during that time, but it made me want to have fun."

"Er…right. About that—"

"We're up!"

Paying no attention to the sigh from his father, Judai hurried to take a seat on the coaster. The exasperated man took a seat beside the boy, an anxious look on his face.

~0~

"Hmm…I have no idea what to do."

Mrs. Inuzuka tapped her chin thoughtfully. Dorumon, standing beside her, tilted his head upwards in order to look at her. He wasn't used to being away from Judai, let alone being with someone who he barely knew; the fact that she was Judai's mother didn't help to make Dorumon feel better in the slightest. Multiple past experiences proved that being separated was a _horrible_ idea. This entire trip made him uneasy because of that simple fact.

Trying to help her decide, he spoke up. "Well, what do you want to do?"

The woman paused to look down at him. "Sorry, I'm still not used to you being able to talk. Problem is I just don't know. I guess we could go to one of the food stands. Oh! I should get you some cotton candy. You can eat that, right?"

He had eaten plenty of human food already, so more of it couldn't possibly hurt him. "Yes. Maybe? Probably."

"Cotton candy it is! Follow me."

She began walking away. Dorumon blinked and followed her, somewhat confused. It wasn't her behavior, per se. Rather, it was her eagerness to have him try more human food. His train of thought halted. _Wait, would that be a part of her behavior?_

"Hurry up."

"O-okay!"

_I guess things _could_ be worse._

There were no enemies chasing them, no immediate threat of attacks, and they weren't having to run for their lives. It had been a long time since things had been so peaceful. The last time he could remember was before he met the others, but even then there had been conflict. The rebellion by Laylamon had begun to gain momentum during that time.

_I wonder if she was different then. Had she been doing it for a good reason?_ The thought led him to shake his head. _I doubt it. Someone so rotten couldn't possibly do something to help others._

He nearly ran into Mrs. Inuzuka when she stopped. Dorumon moved to stand beside her. Raising his head, he watched the young man leaning against the counter of the food stand.

"Two cotton candy cones, please."

"Coming right up."

_Is Judai having fun?_ The little purple Digimon couldn't help but worry about the boy. He was sure there was no reason to, but there was a nagging sensation in the back of his mind. Maybe it was nothing. He just being paranoid, right? That had to be it.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

The woman motioned for Dorumon to follow her to a nearby table. He trotted up to it and jumped up onto the bench she sat down at. She held out one of the cotton candy cones to him, and then frowned.

"Can you hold this?"

He let out a laugh that sounded like a snort. "Yes," he said, grabbing it. "See?"

"Try it!"

Instead of immediately biting into it, he waited for her to take a bite of hers first. It took her a moment to realize that fact, but once she did, she began eating. Dorumon took a bite of his and immediately found himself drooling.

_This is so sweet! I'm not even sure how to describe it!_

"What do you think?" When he didn't answer, she waved her hand at him to get his attention. "Well?"

"This is _really_ good," he whispered before ripping off more.

"So you like it? That's great."

She smiled at him, making him hide his face behind the cotton candy he had left. Maybe he was being paranoid for no reason.

_Nothing's wrong and I'm having fun. I should enjoy this while I can_.

"You look like you're thinking."

Dorumon shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "Maybe a little bit."

"A little bit? More like a lot."

"Okay, yeah, I am."

She leaned against the table, giving him a curious look that was more or less asking him to explain.

"Well, it's just that it's so peaceful here compared to the Digital World. It _was_ peaceful before Laylamon came into power, but after that it was hard to go from day to day without being afraid. At then after we met our partners, it just got worse. When it seemed like we'd be able to catch a break, we'd get attacked, chased, or have to help someone. Not that I'm complaining about being helpful, but it just happened _so_ often. We rescued a lot of Digimon and protected towns. It was so tiring and—"

He cut himself off, staring sheepishly. He looked down at the empty cone in his paw with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Sorry. I'm rambling."

The woman laughed softly, reaching over to rub his head. Dorumon was sure that she would've been able to see him blushing if he didn't have so much fur.

"It's okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes. It happens to everyone. You _should_ talk to Judai about it, though. It might make you feel better."

"O-okay. I will."

She sat up, looking in the direction where they had come from. From their seats, they could see the roller coaster. "It shouldn't be long until they're done. Do you want to go wait for them?"

"Yeah."

As she stood, she made sure to rub his head again. Her hand slipped down to her side when she began walking off. Dorumon let himself slide down to the ground and began to trot after her. The air of calmness around her made him feel better; it didn't relieve the dreadful feeling he had.

_Why couldn't things have been like this in the Digital World?_ He had to keep himself from letting out a laugh. _Because of a psychotic Digimon_.

Just as he finished the thought, Dorumon found himself stopping in his tracks. Mrs. Inuzuka took notice and turned to face him, a concerned look on her face. He heard her ask him something, but he didn't fully register it. The dread came back full force. His stomach twisted into a knot. A low din of curious voices began, only to swell within the matter of ten seconds. Slowly, the little Digimon turned around and looked up at the sky.

No matter how much he wished the feeling in his gut was wrong, he was staring right at the truth.

A portal had opened.

Green, scaled hands shot out, grabbing the edges of it. Slowly, a massive dragon pulled itself out of the portal, inching his way in the human world.

Dorumon spun around. "Mrs. Inuzuka, run! Go get Judai!"

"B-but what is that? What about you?"

"I'll be fine! I need to distract him so everyone else can escape!" He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Go get Judai."

Mrs. Inuzuka stared at him before nodding. "Alright."

Dorumon watched her run off, and then turned his attention to the massive dragon that had dropped down. The ground shook, forcing Dorumon to grab onto a pole to steady himself. Humans screamed, fleeing from the Digimon that was stomping about.

"Hey!" Dorumon shouted over the din. He swallowed when the dragon swiveled its head to look at him. "Leave the humans alone!"

"What, pray tell, do you think you can do?" The dragon asked.

"Fight you!" The statement came out with less strength and more fear than Dorumon wanted. "I-I won't let you hurt anyone!"

The dragon began to laugh, the sound making Dorumon shrink back with a whine.

_Please hurry._

~0~

Judai should've guessed that something would happen to ruin his day. He should've seen it coming from a mile away. He had just been so caught up in the idea of having fun that it hadn't even crossed his mind. So when the entire amusement park seemed to go quiet just as he and his father were getting off the roller coaster, only for terrified screams to start, he had been surprised. That had followed with a sense of fear when he saw _why_ nearly every person in the park had begun screaming, because there was a giant Digimon in the direction where his best friend and mother had gone off to.

The blond took a step forward.

His father clamped a hand down on his shoulder to stop him.

"What are you doing?"

"Dad, let me go! You don't—"

His words died in his throat upon seeing his mother running full forced towards the two. She came to a stop in front of them, clearly winded.

"Dorumon told me—told me to get you," she gasped.

That made Judai jerk his shoulder of out his father's grasp and go running past his mother.

"Judai, wait! It's too dangerous!"

He threw a glance over his shoulder at his father. "I have to! I have to protect you and mom! And everyone else!"

The boy ran as fast as he could, pushing his legs to go faster than they ever had. He pulled his Digivice from his pocket, clutching it tightly in his hand. Before he knew it he came to a stop, breathing heavily, only a few feet from his partner and the intruding Digimon. Dorumon's eyes lit up when he saw the blond, relieved that he had made it.

"Majiramon, huh?" Judai mumbled, looking at his Digivice. "What makes you think you have the right to come into my world and terrorize people?"

The dragon merely laughed. "I am a _Deva_! My orders come Lady Laylamon herself. If you think I am going to let some child and his weakling pet stop me, then you must be stupid!"

"You're the stupid one! We're not gonna sit back and let you hurt anyone!" Judai snapped, holding up his Digivice. "Let's go, Dorumon!"

"Dorumon Digivolve to Dorugamon!"

The Champion glared up defiantly at Majiramon despite the fear in his eyes.

"I will spare you the theatrics, simply because I do not feel like _playing._ Allow me to show you how easy it is for me to defeat you."

He raised his massive hand and swung, smacking Dorugamon aside with little effort. Judai realized too late that his partner was heading straight for him, and found himself knocked to the ground and pinned under Dorugamon. Eyes wide, Judai could only stare as Majiramon plucked the injured Digimon up and held him between two claws.

"You see?" Majiramon sneered. "With a single flick of my wrist I was able to hurt you. What do you think would happen if I bothered to try?"

He let go, watching Dorugamon fall to the ground.

"I must admit that your willingness to face a foe that you have no hope of beating is admirable. If you leave behind that pitiful human, I may spare you."

"What makes you think…I'd do that?"

"Then you can both give up, and stay out of my way."

To say that Judai hurt was an understatement. His ribs protested when he moved, but he used a table to pull himself halfway to his feet. Leaning against it heavily, the boy stared at his partner, who was sprawled on the ground. The injured Digimon met his eyes, fear, anger, and sadness mixed together in his gaze. Judai squeezed the table, unsure of what to do but knowing deep down that he had to do something.

What could he do, though?

He was useless; he had _always_ been useless. Most of his life had been spent sitting in front of a TV screen until absurd hours of the night. He had basically tossed his education to the side in favor of having fun. It wasn't until he had gone to the Digital World that he had actually bothered trying to change, but what good had that done?

It was that moment that he remembered what Daiki had said to him.

_I want you to do something with your life._

So did he. Judai wanted to make his life matter; give it meaning. And he knew what he wanted to do.

"We're _not_ gonna give up!" He shouted. The anger building up in Judai's chest was giving him the courage to speak. "We won't until we can't fight anymore! Because that's what being a DigiDestined is about! It's about protecting everything that makes life what it is!"

Dorugamon struggled to push his body up.

By then the blond was standing on his own, legs shaking but holding his weight. "And that's what I'm going to do. You've dedicated your life to ruining others' lives, so I'm gonna dedicate mine to saving them. I'll do whatever it takes, and I know my partner will too. So go ahead. Throw whatever you've got at us!"

A surge of power allowed Dorugamon to stand just as his body began to change. He grew, becoming larger, two sets of wings sprouting from his back. Within moments the large red and white Digimon stood eye to eye with Majiramon, red eyes narrowing. He flexed his wings, digging his claws into the ground. Judai gaped up at his partner, a smile spreading across his face. Shock registered in Majiramon's eyes.

"This," DoruGreymon snarled, "is the last time you ever hurt anyone!"

He charged, throwing his full body weight against Majiramon. The dragon reacted in time to grab DoruGreymon, but still ended up on the ground with the red Digimon on top of him. DoruGreymon latched his mouth onto Majiramon's neck, earning a roar as the green dragon attempted to free himself. His hands grabbed hold of DoruGreymon's shoulders while he planted his feet against the beast's stomach, and he pushed, only for the DoruGreymon to clench his jaw tighter.

Angry, Majiramon let go and spit out a ball of fire that exploded against the red Digimon's shoulder. With a partially muffled cry, DoruGreymon let go and fanned the flames out with his wings. This gave Majiramon enough time to get to his feet and last out at the other dragon.

Judai watched, biting down on his knuckles to keep the anxiety he was feeling in check. He tore his eyes away from the fight long enough to check his surroundings, making sure that everyone had gotten away. Not once had he stopped to think that someone might call the cops.

Naturally, someone had done just that.

_Why do these things happen to me?_ He thought desperately. _What am I supposed to do now? Yell at the police?_

Guns were raised, and a one of the police officers began to approach the boy. He took a step back, eyes darting between the officers and the fighting Digimon. He didn't have a choice.

_Yelling at the police it is._

"What are you doing here, kid? You need to leave!"

"No, _you_ need to leave!" Judai shouted, waving his arms. "It's too dangerous for a bunch of people, guns or no guns!"

"What're you talkin' about? A kid like you can't be here. There's two monsters fighting!"

"Are you deaf or what? Go away! My partner and I got this covered! You'll just get in the way!"

"Partner? What—it doesn't matter. You're coming with me."

The man grabbed Judai's arm, yanking him forward. Judai let out a surprised yelp just as something crashed down behind him. He pulled his arm free, turning around to see DoruGreymon being pinned down by Majiramon. Eyes wide, Judai made to run over, only for the officer to grab him and pull him back.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Let go of me!" Judai yelled, flailing. "He's in trouble! I have to help him! Let me go!"

By then, Majiramon had grabbed hold of DoruGreymon and lifted him into the air with ease. The Deva threw the red dragon, leading to a panic as the gathered officers scrambled to get out of the way. The man beside Judai dragged him down in time to keep both of them from being hit. DoruGreymon hit the ground and slid, stopping only after his back hit one of the many nearby buildings.

Judai pushed himself up and moved away before the officer could grab him again. Several feet away, his partner was attempting to push himself back up. The sound of stomping made Judai look to see Majiramon approaching the downed dragon, a smug look on the Deva's face.

"You were so sure of yourself," Majiramon sneered. "That was your first mistake, my friend. The second was ever believing that you could ever beat me."

Panic set in. "Get up! Get up, now!" Judai screamed. His heart pounded in his ears. "DoruGreymon, please, you gotta get up!"

The teenager's pleas drew Majiramon's attention. Swinging his head around, the green dragon narrowed his eyes and diverted his path to walk towards Judai. The blond scrambled away, fear in his eyes.

"I tire of your incessant screeching, boy. I do believe it is time I quieted you down."

With a quick swing of his hand, Majiramon snatched Judai up, his grip tight. Judai attempted to squirm, but found that he couldn't move anything but his head due to the Deva's grasp. Seeing that the boy was frightened, Majiramon's mouth twisted into a wide grin.

"This is what you deserve for trying to defy Lady Laylamon. Once you are dead, I will delete your precious partner and help to take over this world."

"E-even if you did, my friends will stop you." There was no confidence in his voice; he knew that he probably sounded like a frightened child.

"You truly believe that, don't you? I did not come to this world alone. I assure you, your friends will be fighting for their _lives._" Majiramon titled his head to the side, tapping the tip of his claw against Judai's head. "How should I kill you? Should I rip out your tiny little throat? Rip off your head? Pull you apart limb from limb?"

'Afraid' didn't quite describe how Judai felt. 'Terrified' was a better term.

He was about to die.

"Any last words?"

"Leave. Him. Alone!"

Both swung their heads around to see DoruGreymon standing on his feet. He glared, fury in his eyes, and leapt forward. He shifted and rammed his shoulder into Majiramon; the hit forced the Deva to let go of Judai, who was caught by the nearby officer. Snarling, DoruGreymon dug his teeth into Majiramon's throat once again and dragged the green dragon across the ground like a ragdoll. The next moment the Deva was flung up into the air and slammed back down with enough force to crack the concrete. DoruGreymon let go, allowing Majiramon to get to his feet, only to shoot out a metal ball that sent the dragon crashing into several abandoned food stands.

"_No one_ hurts my partner and gets away with it," DoruGreymon growled.

It was clear that Majiramon hadn't been expecting the sudden turn of tide in the battle, as he was staring at DoruGreymon with a dumbfounded expression.

"And if you think I'm just to let you win and terrorize this world, then you're stupid."

DoruGreymon jumped up and slammed down onto Majiramon, pinning him down, and put his face right in front of the green dragon's.

"Any last words?"

"You will never beat Laylamon."

Baring his teeth, DoruGreymon stabbed the bladed tip of his tail into Majiramon's chest. The dragon exploded, leaving DoruGreymon to absorb his data. Judai let out a cheer, throwing his hands up, and ran over as his partner reverted to his Rookie stage. Grabbing hold of him, Judai hefted Dorumon up and hugged him tightly.

"Are you okay?" Dorumon asked once he had been put back down.

"A little sore, but just fine! If it hadn't been for you, I would've gotten crushed."

Dorumon smiled sheepishly. "It was nothing. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Doru! Honestly!"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Dorumon wrapped his arms around Judai's leg. "I thought I wasn't gonna make it in time."

"I had faith," Judai stated with a grin. "So…what now?"

"You're coming with us."

Jumping, the two turned to see the officer that caught Judai standing there with his arms crossed. "We'll need you to answer a few questions."

Nervous, Judai looked at Dorumon and tried to look confident.


	31. 30 - Sons of War

**A/N**: This chapter offers some insight into Digivolution.

_Chapters updated_: Prologue, Chapter 1.

* * *

Tokyo was a sight to see.

Skyscrapers towered above them while hundreds of people walked around them. There were shops of various kinds every direction, from restaurants to electronics stores. It was clear that Gabumon and Biyomon were entranced by the sights Tokyo offered, as they often trailed behind to look at something that caught their eye. The two Digimon wandered off a total of thirty times in a little over an hour, leading Shizuka to grab the duo to drag them back to her brother and her parents.

The original plan had been to go stay with the twins' grandparents in the countryside, but it just so happened that said couple had left on their own trip to celebrate their anniversary. Tadashi had suggested Tokyo. With a little convincing from the twins, the family had gone to the city.

At that moment the family was relaxing at an outdoor café, waiting for their food. After exploring the city nonstop, all of them were ready for a rest and a meal. The twins had ordered extra food for their partners. Of the two Digimon, Gabumon was still looking around in wonderment.

"I never thought human cities would be this big!" Gabumon said, eyes wide with curiosity.

"This isn't even the largest city in our world," Tadashi told him. "There a few twice this size."

A look of surprise flashed across Biyomon's face. "Twice as big as this place? Sounds like they'd be bigger than Ragnarok City."

"Probably. Though Ragnarok City was pretty big… Us humans have a bad habit of making things that are already big even larger," Shizuka stated with a snort. "We take up a lot of space that we don't need to."

"Humanity has always been obsessed with conquest in all its forms," Tadashi pointed out with a slight shrug. "Though it is unfortunate, greed is an inherent trait in the nature of the human race."

"Alright, smartass, take it down a notch."

Tadashi hummed and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "I was looking at a list of events going on today and picked out a few things that seemed interesting. I thought you'd like to take a look."

"Sure. Hand it here."

He gave it to her and took a sip from his glass of water as she looked it over. Biyomon leaned over to read it. Most of the list seemed uninteresting, but the one that caught her attention was some sort of tournament. While she had never seen a tournament herself, Biyomon had heard stories of the ones that had been held in the years before Laylamon rose to power.

"Well, the Tokyo Robotics Tournament is today," Shizuka grunted. "That's the only thing here that sounds fun, besides the arcade. Dunno about you, but I don't feel like playing games today."

"Actually, I was thinking the same thing. I wanted to see what you thought before suggesting it. After we eat I'll tell mom and dad."

"Sounds like a plan."

"…Robotics tournament?" Gabumon asked, confused. "What's that?"

"It's a competition to showcase the abilities of the teams who construct the robots. The winners are awarded money and offered various kinds of manufacturing jobs. It used to be a private event, but they opened it up. The teams can demonstrate their skills to an entire audience now. Hence why it's now a tournament."

Biyomon tilted her head to the side. "That seems like an odd thing to do."

"Eh, I could see why you'd think that, but it gives people a chance to get a job and now people can have fun watching it. You won't find me complaining. I'm just hoping it's a good show," Shizuka said. "Here comes our food."

The group quieted when the waitress walked up to their table. She set the plates down onto the table, smiling widely as she did so. "Sorry for being rude, but I just want to say that your bird is adorable! What's her name?"

She hadn't expected the question, leading Shizuka to blurt out, "Biyo."

"What an adorable name! Oh, gotta go. Enjoy your food!"

When the waitress was gone, Shizuka let out a quiet breath. Tadashi glanced at her with an eyebrow raised and Gabumon laughed loud enough for her to hear. Biyomon tried her best to appear amused by her partner's discomfort, making Shizuka glower.

"Very original," the bird told her.

"Like you could come up with something on the fly," Shizuka muttered sourly. When more laughter followed, she scowled. "Eat your stupid food."

"Food can be stupid?"

"Shut up."

The next twenty minutes were spent joking, laughing, and eating. Despite trying her best to join in with the trio, Biyomon's mind was elsewhere. There they were, pretending everything was normal when it wasn't. She and her fellow Digimon were in a world they knew nothing about. Not to mention what they had to go through to get there. Her friends could try all they wanted to act like they were fine; Biyomon knew better. None of them were okay. She didn't think they would be for a long time.

_You always insisted that you didn't care, but you always tried to protect us._ _And even though you might've been a jerk, you were still there for us._

She lowered her head slightly, staring at the bits of food in front of her.

"Biyomon, are you okay?"

The pink bird, startled by the question, turned to look at her partner. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine!"

Shizuka furrowed her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes! I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"What…we're going to do today?" Biyomon offered in hopes that Shizuka would leave her alone.

Instead, the teenager leaned closer to her, clearly concerned. "If you need to talk about something, I'm willing to listen. We are partners, you know."

"I know. It's nothing, really."

Judging from the look on her face, Shizuka didn't believe Biyomon. Even so, she let out a sigh of resignation and turned away. "Alright. Whatever you say. I'm sure you'll tell me what's bothering you sooner or later."

Biyomon exhaled softly, glad the discussion was over. Their attention was turned to the twins' parents, who walked over to their table.

"Finished?" Lauren asked, earning a few nods in reply. "Alright. Where were you wanting to go?"

The twins stood up, pushing in their chairs. Biyomon perched on the top of the chair beside Shizuka to wait.

"The Tokyo Robotics Tournament," Tadashi said.

"Sounds good. We'll go as soon as I pay the bill."

Their father walked off, leaving them with their mother. The woman smiled widely and clapped her hands together. "I'm so glad you're enjoying yourselves! Ever since you came back you've all been down in the dumps. Seeing you having some fun is great."

"We had fun at the mall," Tadashi pointed out.

"Yes, but you were with all your friends. You two hardly ever enjoy our family trips."

"Because we're usually dragged to places we don't like," Shizuka muttered under her breath.

"I'm just going to pretend that you didn't say that."

Lauren joined them soon after, scratching the back of his head. "Let's go. Hopefully we get good seats."

"Should we go back and get the car?"

"No. It'll be easier to go in a couple of taxis."

They did just that, waving down two taxis. The drive to the stadium the tournament was being held in was long and uncomfortable for Biyomon, but she sat patiently for the entire time.

The stadium was bigger than the bird imagined, both inside and out.

As luck would have it, they arrived in time to get what Lauren deemed as "decent seats". Neither Biyomon nor Gabumon understood the point in getting specific seats. The only explanation they were provided was that where your seats were determined how well of a view you could get. Biyomon didn't bother to understand why it mattered and instead nestled herself into her partner's lap. Gabumon had a seat to himself and was partially curled up as he waited for the matches to begin.

The buzz of feedback from the stadium speakers made her jump. Shizuka grinned down at her, making her huff. The man Tadashi identified as the announcer began rambling on about the tournament, showing the line-up of robots who would be fighting. Biyomon had thought they would be rather large, but they barely larger than the average human.

"Who're you rooting for?" Shizuka asked her brother.

"Hmm…see the fifth on from the left? I have a feeling that is the best built."

"Really? But that one on the far end has saws instead of hands."

"That doesn't mean it's going to win."

"What? Come on, it has a good chance!"

"Just because it has saws…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Sometimes your thought process amazes me."

Shizuka frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He means that you're not really thinking about it," Gabumon said as he sat up.

Tadashi glanced at his partner with a betrayed look before turning to see Shizuka staring at him. He held up his hands, smiling sheepishly.

"I'll let you off this time," she warned. "And how did you know what he meant, Gabumon? I'm his twin yet I can hardly understand him half the time."

"He talks a lot like Renamon," Biyomon said. "Leomon, too. That's probably why. We've pretty much gotten used to it."

Shizuka made an unconvinced noise in her throat, but conceded.

"Not to mention you don't make an effort to fully understand him."

The comment earned Biyomon a tap on the head. "Shush. If you had to deal with him every day you'd block him out, too." At this she nudged her brother, winking at him.

"I suppose that is true for me as well, since I have little interest in her obsession with boxing."

Her mouth dropped open, and she prepared a retort only to be cut off when a bell marked the beginning of the first match. She looked forward, though spared a brief glance at her brother.

"This isn't over," she whispered.

He smirked.

"I still say saw-for-hands is gonna win," she added.

"If you say so."

The first match didn't catch Biyomon's attention, but the second got her interested by the end. Following that, she watched each fight and found herself cheering alongside Shizuka. It was a surprise to her that she was having so much fun. She was glad, though, since it gave her a chance to distract herself. Even the twins' parents were getting rather invested in the matches. It was several matches in that Shizuka's favorite robot was taken down. She pouted, which made Biyomon giggle. As the tournament continued, the bird found her spirits greatly raised.

When the last match was over and Tadashi's preferred robot won, the teenager grinned victoriously. Shizuka wrapped her arm around his neck and dug her knuckles into his head. He cried out for help. His partner was worried, but Biyomon found it hilarious. Lauren, with a sigh, pulled a laughing Shizuka off of Tadashi.

"Calm down, you two."

"I didn't do anything," Tadashi groaned while rubbing his head.

"Shouldn't be so proud of yourself, bro," Shizuka teased.

"That is most definitely _not_ a reasonable excuse to hurt me."

"Sure it is! I'm trying to teach you humility."

"Seems as if you need to learn humility more than I do."

"What was that?"

The smile on Shizuka's face made Tadashi nervous. Biyomon could understand, since it meant trouble. She lightly punched her brother's arm and began walking towards the exit. Lauren looked exasperated; Biyomon felt sorry for him since he had to deal with the antics of the twins so often. If there was one thing she had learned about the two while traveling with them, it was that they tended to get on each other's nerves, both accidentally and purposefully. With Tadashi's brains versus Shizuka's brawn, it was only a matter of time before they started arguing. When that happened, they were definitely a handful.

The group was outside within a few minutes. While Lauren and his wife discussed whether they were going to take another taxi, and Shizuka and Tadashi tried to decide what to do next, Biyomon was fidgeting. A thought had crossed her mind the moment they had walked outside that something was wrong. A quick glance at Gabumon confirmed that she wasn't the only one who was worried, though none of the humans seemed to have a problem. Gabumon fully turned to her, his eyes widening, and both realized what they were sensing.

The second their partners turned around to look at them, the two Digimon raised their heads and gaped.

"Oh no," Gabumon whispered.

This prompted the two humans to look up, followed by a loud curse from Shizuka. Lauren spun around to berate her when he noticed what they were staring at. Other people had started to point at the sky.

"Are. You. Kidding. ME?!" Shizuka shouted. "Really? _Really_?"

"Shizuka, please calm down—that doesn't look good."

From the portal, two shapes dropped out a few seconds apart, landing just in front of the stadium. One was a sheep-like and wielded a massive crossbow, and the other was a winged tiger that licked his lips as he eyed the DigiDestined. The next moment he was bounding forward. Gabumon Digivolved and rammed into the tiger, cutting him off. Soon enough Birdramon was diving towards the sheep. People all around them were screaming in fear, running like there was no tomorrow.

"Mihiramon and Pajiramon. Both are Ultimates? Fan-freaking-tastic!"

"Shizuka, Tadashi—"

"Not now dad," Tadashi said. "You need leave with mom. We'll take care of this."

Their mom dashed over to kiss the two on the forehead. "Be careful, both of you. I believe in you."

The twins watched the woman grab her husband's hand and drag him away despite his protest. Shizuka turned back just in time to watch Mihiramon wrestle Garurumon to the ground, standing on top of him, and Pajiramon shoot Birdramon through the wing. The bird landed harshly on the ground, holding the injured wing out.

"Let me explain this to you," Mihiramon growled. "You have two choices: Surrender, or be killed. If you surrender, we may let you live."

"Right. So basically, you're probably going to kill us either way," Shizuka said. "Do you really think we're just gonna lay down and let you kill us?"

"I suppose if you wish for a prolonged death," Pajiramon replied, leveling her crossbow at the human. "That can be arranged."

Birdramon, scowling, moved to position herself between her partner and Pajiramon. The sheep looked amused, and readied a shot as she aimed at the bird's head. Undeterred, Birdramon puffed her chest out. This made the smirk on Pajiramon's face fall into a frown, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Why are you so willing to sacrifice yourself for a measly human?"

"Don't have any friends you would protect?" Birdramon replied. The sheep continued to glare. "Guess not."

"Oh, please," Mihiramon said. "Your loyalty to one another is disgusting."

"As if you aren't loyal to Laylamon—" Garurumon grumbled.

Mihiramon stomped down on the wolf, growling out a quiet warning.

"You have one last warning. Surrender now or we'll make sure you die a slow, _painful_ death."

From the corner of her eye, Birdramon could see Garurumon looking at her. She turned to look at him as he glared up at Mihiramon, baring his teeth. Both of them knew that giving up wasn't an option.

"Go to hell."

Snarling, Mihiramon slammed his paw into Garurumon's chest and bit down on the wolf's neck. Howling in pain, Garurumon thrashed and kicked at the tiger in an attempt to break free. Behind her, Birdramon could hear Tadashi yelling frantically, and moved to help her friend. She froze when she felt a sharp pain in her side, and looked down to see an arrow made of light embedded below her wing. Stumbling, she turned to Pajiramon, only for two more hit her in the chest and her already injured wing. She swayed and barely caught her footing in time to avoid toppling over.

Mihiramon threw Garurumon through the air. The wolf landed with a thud and slid to a stop near his partner, who attempted to rush over to him. The boy came to a stop and backpedaled as Mihiramon jumped in front of him.

"We did warn you. Now you have to face the consequences," Pajiramon stated calmly, trotting closer.

"Have some comfort; we'll be sure to talk about how sickeningly _noble_ you were," Mihiramon said with a toothy grin. "Not to mention your sheer stubbornness. I'm sure Lady Laylamon will find it amusing."

"It is disappointing that you didn't last longer. We had heard how many of our allies you had destroyed, so we were expecting more of a fight."

"Oh, well, we're so sorry your highness," Shizuka snapped. "Thought you said something about killing us."

Tadashi hissed his sister's name in disbelief.

Pajiramon laughed and pointed her crossbow at the human. "If you're so eager…"

Birdramon threw herself into the sheep, knocking Pajiramon to the ground. Mihiramon, in turn, tackled the bird and sliced through one of her wings with his claws. She cried out and attempted to smack him with her other wing, only for Pajiramon to land harshly on it. The pain coursing through the appendages made her vision black out for a moment, and when it returned, Pajiramon had her weapon shoved in the bird's face. Birdramon tried to even her breathing, though the pain made it difficult, and mustered up the best glare she could manage.

It only served to make Pajiramon angrier.

"You'll be the first to go. And we'll make sure your lousy human friends suffer too. Now, should I take it slow and shoot you through the eye first or make it quick and hit your core?"

"Do whatever you want. I'm prepared to die for my friends."

Sneering, Pajiramon pointed the crossbow directly between Birdramon's eyes. The moment the sheep prepared to pull the trigger, a chorus of cries rang out. Anger surged through Birdramon alongside a stinging sensation, and she realized that she was feeling Shizuka's anger. Then it shifted to an urge to fight coupled with her own need to protect her partner. Flames suddenly surrounded her, startling the two Digimon on her and forcing them off. She rose to her feet, soon towering over the duo.

"You think this changes anything? We'll still kill you!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Mihiramon's head snapped upwards in time for him to see a bipedal wolf drop down from the sky. WereGarurumon slammed his fist into the tiger's back, earning a yowl of pain. Garudamon kicked Pajiramon, sending the sheep clear over the twins. Yelping, Tadashi bent down and covered his head while Shizuka laughed. The bird took to the sky and landed just in front of Pajiramon.

"You'd think Digimon like you would stop underestimating us," Garudamon said.

She took a step forward. Pajiramon, startled, moved back.

"I guess you'll just have to pay for that mistake."

Pajiramon hefted up the crossbow and fired off a shot as quick as she could. Garudamon raised her arm to protect her face; the arrow hit her in the arm just moments after. She lowered her arm to find Pajiramon had disappeared from sight. She glanced around for a moment and then turned to look behind her. She caught a glimpse of Pajiramon the same instate the sheep fired several arrows into the bird's back. The pain made her grimace, and she stuck her foot out to catch her balance.

Angry, Garudamon whipped around to grab the sheep only for Pajiramon to skirt to the side of the bird's fist. She tried again and failed, missing by a few seconds. Though her new form offered her quite a bit of power, the sheer size of her body was proving to be cumbersome and was making things unnecessarily difficult. Each attempt proved futile due to Pajiramon's speed.

But with each missed strike, she noticed a pattern: Pajiramon alternated dodging by going one way and then the other the next time she moved.

Garudamon found herself anticipating where Pajiramon would move next and swung her fist. The punch successfully hit Pajiramon and sent the sheep flying back into a nearby building. That same moment she heard what she thought was a siren, accompanied by Shizuka yelling at her for letting the other Digimon hit a building. Garudamon turned to look at her partner before a squealing noise made her wince.

"The authorities are here. Great," Tadashi groaned. "I suppose I should've seen that coming."

"Yeah, well—wait!" Shizuka shouted. "Don't shoot the big bird!"

Garudamon stared at the weapons that were raised toward her and was ready to defend herself when an arrow nearly skewered one of the humans.

"Fire Hurricane!"

Pajiramon, startled, stared with wide eyes as a massive vortex of flames erupted around her. She made to jump out.

Garudamon wasn't going to let her.

"Wing Blade!"

A massive vacuum blade soared through the air, visible only as a silhouette shaped like a black bird. The blade cut Pajiramon clear in two, causing the Digimon to explode into bits of data. Closing her eyes, Garudamon let the data flow into her before turning toward the shaken human.

"Are you okay?"

The man nodded hesitantly, eyes still wide. Pleased, Garudamon turned away and looked to where WereGarurumon and Mihiramon were still battling.

Mihiramon came diving down, forcing WereGarurumon to leap out of the way to avoid him. The wolf watched as Mihiramon circled around and lined himself up with WereGarurumon. Roaring, the tiger lunged, speeding downwards. One of his hind feet slid back so WereGarurumon could brace himself. He ducked down and reached up, grabbing hold of Mihiramon's leg. With his other paw, the bipedal wolf hit the Deva in the stomach with a powerful punch. With his enemy stunned, WereGarurumon moved his paw to get a better grasp on Mihiramon. He pivoted on his heel and spun around, gaining speed until he was a blur.

He came to a sudden stop and used the momentum to throw Mihiramon into the stadium.

Metal and concrete broke and fell, piling on top of the tiger. Growling, he shifted and attempted to push the rubble aside.

WereGarurumon leapt on top of the tiger, raising a paw. Pinned, there was nothing Mihiramon could do to stop WereGarurumon from ripping his throat out and ripping into him. After the Deva disintegrated, WereGarurumon reverted to Gabumon, exhausted.

"That took _forever_," Shizuka moaned. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm alive," Garudamon grunted, lumbering up to her partner. "Though I have to admit the wounds from those arrows sting."

Gabumon sauntered over, panting softly. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine."

Someone cleared their throat, making the group turn their attention to the police officers gathered. Shizuka, for a reason that Garudamon couldn't discern, suddenly looked anxious about their presence. Tadashi didn't seem pleased by it either.

"We're going to need you to come with us."

"Er…why?" Shizuka asked.

The man motioned around them to the damage that had been done. "I would say it's rather obvious. When strange creatures appear and end up destroying property, it's reason for suspicion. You'll need to give us an explanation."

The twins exchanged glances. It was almost as if a silent message passed between them. Shizuka turned to the officer and nodded while sliding her hand into her pocket.

"Can I call our parents to let them know?"

Frowning, the officer let out a huff. "Fine. Be quick."

"Alright, Thanks."

Confused, Garudamon watched Shizuka move near her and make a show of dialing. At the same time, she motioned for the bird to lean over. Her curiosity getting the best of her, Garudamon did just that.

"How much energy do you have left?" Shizuka whispered, placing the phone to her ear.

"A bit."

"Good. Then can you fly us out of here?"

"But that man—"

"We know what the man said," Tadashi interrupted quietly.

"If you're sure. I don't know how far I can take you."

"It doesn't matter. Just fly as far as you can."

Shizuka pretended to hang up and turned around. Garudamon lowered her hand and her three friends hurriedly climb onto her palm, surprising the officers. Once they were settled, Garudamon took off. Angry shouts came from below, but the wind rushing past her and Shizuka's laughter drowned it out for the most part. She looked down at her partner, who was grinning at her brother.

"I can't believe we actually did that," Tadashi mumbled.

"You agreed to it!"

"Well, yeah, but…" He stopped himself and sighed. "We're going to pay for this later, aren't we?"

"Probably. But who cares? I don't know about you, but I didn't want to be stuck in a police station right after a fight."

"Fair point."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I won't be able to keep this form much longer."

"There's a forest that way. There should be a clearing large enough for you to land in."

The bird steered herself in the direction Shizuka pointed and spotted the forest. Once over the clearing, she swooped down and landed. Knowing she was going to de-Digivolve soon, Garudamon ushered her passengers off. The moment they were off, she shrank and collapsed onto the ground with a heavy sigh.

"Now to call dad for real," Shizuka said as she scrolled through her contact list. "I bet you ten bucks he's going to yell when I tell him what happened."

"No need to bet because that _is_ what he will do."

"Yeah, I know. Hey dad! We're gonna need you to pick us up."

"…_Why?"_

"Well, a bunch of officers wanted us to go with them. We sort of…didn't."

"_What? Do you realize what kind of trouble you're going to be in? Where are you?!"_

"One of the forests outside of Tokyo. Don't worry, we're gonna head over to grandpa's house. You can pick us up there."

"_You two…fine. I'll drive over there right now. We are going to have a serious talk. Understood?"_

"Loud and clear, pop! Bye!"

"We're dead," Tadashi summarized.

"Pretty much."


	32. 31 - Heart of Fire

The sun had just reached the horizon when music began to blare from the second floor of the Toriya household. The dreadful noise could only be described as a horrendous mixture of jazz and heavy metal. A hand snaked out of the mound on the bed, groping for the device that the music was originating from. Once the phone had been grabbed, Daiki poked his head out from the pile of blankets and shut the alarm off. He dropped the phone back onto the nightstand. The blankets were then shoved onto the floor, letting the young man flip over onto his back and stare up at the ceiling.

_Back to the same old stuff as before._

He combed his fingers through his hair and exhaled.

_Better get ready for work._

He forced himself to sit up. His muscles decided to protest by cramping up. Groaning, he stood up and popped his back into place by twisting around. With that done, he headed into the bathroom to shower. Normally he preferred warm water, but at that moment he found himself turning on the cold water instead. He leaned against the wall and enjoyed the feeling of the cold water for a few minutes, just trying to relax.

Maybe it was the fact that he had finally registered that they were really home. It wasn't a dream or an illusion. After an entire month of being in a different world, they had managed to make it back. The problem—if it could even be described as that—was trying to get used to it again, despite the fact that it had already been a few days.

Daiki dragged his hands down his face. There was no point in figuring out why he felt the way he did. The only thing to do was to get through the day and hope he could get a good night's rest.

Once he had finished showering, getting dressed, and making himself look at least somewhat presentable, he headed downstairs. The smell of food was the first thing he noticed when he reached the first floor. When he poked his head into the kitchen, he could see his mother cooking. Renamon was sitting at the table reading the news on his tablet. Stomach grumbling, Daiki walked into the kitchen and stopped beside his mother. She spared him a moment's glance when he leaned against the counter, but turned her gaze back to the skillet.

"What're you cooking?"

"Steamed rice, fish, and nori. Want some?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll get the plates."

He caught her smiling at him and hid his smirk behind his arm as he reached for the cabinet. Renamon lowered the tablet when Daiki walked around the table to set the plates down. He moved to stand beside his partner and raised an eyebrow at the story she was reading.

"Mom teach you how to use that?"

"Yes."

"And you chose to read the news?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

He was tempted to say it was because of the fact that she was reading a story regarding the "sudden reappearance of a group of missing children" that occurred a few days prior. However, he decided it was best if he didn't comment. Sitting down, he leaned back and stretched out his legs. Nelia came over and placed food on Daiki's plate. She paused before turning to Renamon.

"Would you like to try some?"

Renamon looked ready to refuse, but a glance from Daiki made her change her mind. "I would be delighted."

Nelia, pleased, was quick to grab a third plate from the cabinet. Once all the food had been distributed, she clapped her hands together and began to eat. Daiki was about to take a bite of the rice when he stopped to look up. Renamon, despite being unsure, bit into the fish. Her eyes lit up, and she turned to look at Nelia in surprise. The woman beamed, making Daiki snort in an attempt to stop his laughter.

"This is amazing."

"Thanks! Cooking is a bit of a hobby for me."

"Only a mere hobby? I would think you would be a chef."

"Oh, no. Believe me, if I had the patience for that, I would be one."

"One would think the pay for such a job would be a great incentive."

"Yes, well, I doubt I'd last a week with my short fuse." Nelia laughed.

The conversation made Daiki stop once again to look at his partner. "They have chefs in the Digital World?"

"Of course."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, we went to an inn that had a bard, and File City _did_ have a mayor."

"Did you forget the fact there were also restaurants in File City?"

"Oh, yeah. That's true. Wonder what else…" He trailed off, looking at the clock. "Uh oh, gotta go. Love you, mom! Bye!"

As he hurried to his feet and ran out the door, Nelia yelled, "Love you too! Be careful!"

"Yeah, sure! See you when I get home!"

He couldn't believe he had wasted so much time. He grabbed his helmet off the table near the door and slipped it on. Once he was outside, he hopped onto his motorcycle and started. He was speeding down the highway less than a minute later. While his boss wouldn't be harsh on him, the man was still going to be unhappy about the fact that one of his employees was late.

Fifteen minutes passed when he rolled into the parking lot. Tugging his helmet off his head, Daiki slid off his bike and hurried inside. The sound of the doors sliding open caught the attention of his boss, who frowned. Judging from his expression, Daiki guessed the man was a feeling mixture of displeasure and relief. Maybe he hadn't been expecting Daiki to come back to work so soon?

"Sorry, boss. Lost track of time talking with my mom."

Sighing, the man waved his hand in Daiki's direction. "Don't worry. To be honest with you, I was worried sick when I heard you went missing. I don't mind you spending time with your mom. Also, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Rowan?"

"Thanks, boss."

"Did you even hear me?"

"So what's on the agenda for today?"

Rowan took in a breath and pressed his fingers against the side of his nose. "Just man the counter for me, will you? I have some new people applying for the night shift that I'll be interviewing."

Not paying too much attention to the man, Daiki gave him a thumbs up and walked around the counter. "You got it."

"I'm going to assume you're ignoring me. If anything happens, you know where I'll be."

"Yep."

The door to the office swung open. Standing in the doorway, Rowan looked back. "Glad to have you back, kiddo."

When Daiki prepared to answer, Rowan closed the door, cutting him off. Chuckling, Daiki turned and leaned against the counter.

Time went by slowly and without much incident at first. After a couple of hours, a rather bothersome customer came in who decided to harass other customers and raise a fist to Daiki. Needless to say, Daiki was happy to remove the man by force. People came and went like clockwork with few words said after that. The only person who tried to have a conversation with him was a talkative woman who badgered on until her daughter dragged her out. When his break rolled around, he switched out with one of the younger workers and went to the break room to relax.

He was halfway through a box of donuts when Rowan strolled in. A girl was following him, clearly excited and nervous.

"Daiki, this is Naomi. She'll be working the night shift," Rowan said, motioning to her. He turned. "Don't worry, Naomi, he won't bite."

She nodded and raised a hand. "Hi."

Daiki waved and swallowed down the food in his mouth. "Nice to meet you. Want a donut?"

~0~

"Thank you for the help, Renamon," Nelia said as she washed the dishes. "It's usually a pain to do all this myself."

Renamon dried the plates with care before looking at the woman. "No need to thank me. Think of it as a way to pay you back for your hospitality."

"You shouldn't worry about that. After all, you are Daiki's friend!"

"That may be true, but it would impolite of me to make you do this work alone. I am your guest."

"Well, no matter what, I'm glad you're giving me a hand."

The fox smiled and slid the plates into the cabinet. Her mind began to wander when she looked at Nelia again, leading to her thinking about Daiki. His interaction with the woman was the first time in days that she had seen him content.

"I apologize if I am bothering you, Nelia, but may I ask you a question?"

The woman seemed surprised by the question when she turned to Renamon. "I don't mind at all! What do you want to know?"

"Has Daiki always had trouble with dealing with his emotions?"

"A bit," Nelia said, resting her hand on the counter. "He's always been a stubborn boy, but his emotions began to get the better of him after he met Mikami."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Because that's when his father started…" She trailed off and let out a remorseful sigh. "I always regretted marrying that man. I wish I would've seen him for who he really was sooner. Somehow I blinded myself to the fact that he was hurting Daiki until it was too late."

Renamon turned her gaze away. "I'm sorry."

The response was not what the fox would have expected. Nelia laughed and wiped a tear from her eye.

"It was mine own fault for not realizing. But, to be honest, I think it was for the best. Daiki has told me plenty of times that he wants to make sure no one goes through what he did. Makes me so proud to be his mom. And it made me stronger, too. Sometimes we have to face hardships to become better people."

"I suppose so," Renamon murmured, "but there are times when those hardships are too much."

"Did something happen? Something the kids didn't want to talk about?"

Lowering her head, Renamon tried to prevent herself from showing her emotions. That didn't prevent her eyes from watering. Nelia moved over to wrap an arm around the fox, earning a small noise of surprise and protest.

"Look, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. If you feel like you need to, though, I'm all ears."

"We…we all lost someone close to us."

Renamon gripped the counter tightly. Thinking about it brought back the memory of the incident. It wasn't something she wanted to dwell upon, let alone remember. Keeping it in hurt just as much as remembering it did, though.

"I can't help but wonder if there was a way to prevent what happened. Scenarios where we save him keep playing through my mind."

"It's pretty obvious that you're blaming yourself. Don't! It wasn't your fault or anyone else's. Things happen that are beyond our control. Do you think he'd blame any of you for what happened to him?"

No, he wouldn't. Renamon could imagine Impmon ranting and raving over her blaming herself. There was no doubt he'd go so far as to hit her for it. Envisioning his reaction made her smile despite the sadness.

"It's gonna be hard to get over losing your friend, but just think about what he would want you to do, okay?"

"He was more than just a friend to me," Renamon whispered. "To think it took losing him to realize that…"

Nelia pulled the fox closer in an attempt to comfort her. "Have you talked to Daiki about how you feel? Or any of your friends?"

"No. None of us wanted to bring it up with one another until we had time to come to terms with the ordeal. We also didn't want to risk speaking about it in front of Mikami."

"Why wouldn't you—oh," the woman said in realization. "He was her partner, wasn't he?"

Renamon nodded before pulling away and turning her back to the woman. "I'm sorry for wasting your time like this. I should not have involved you in my personal problems. Please do not let Daiki or the others know about this."

Sighing, Nelia put her hands on her hips. "I won't tell any of them if that's what you want, but don't think this was a waste of time. If I helped you in any way, then it wasn't a waste of time. A friend of Daiki's might as well be family to me, and I sure as hell won't let family hurt. Don't be a hard-headed idiot."

Renamon took in a breath to help settle her mind. "Yes, you're right. My apologies. I suppose I am simply used to being rational and ignoring my own emotional state that I feel as if I shouldn't speak of it."

"Remember that if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. There are others counting on you, so take care of yourself too."

"Of course." Turning, Renamon tried her best to smile. "Are there any other chores you need help with?"

~0~

"Shift's over, boss! I'm heading home!"

Rowan, who had been explaining the ropes to Naomi, poked his head out of his office. Naomi peeked over his shoulder to look at Daiki, waving at him. He stopped walking long enough to raise a hand in response. Working with the younger girl was definitely going to interesting, if nothing else.

"Be careful driving. I better not hear you got yourself hurt on that damn bike of yours!"

"Yeah, yeah! It's not like I haven't been driving it for over a year now. Calm down, I know how to drive it!"

Goodness, the man was more overbearing than his own mothers at times. Daiki would even say Rowan worse than Yoko's father! Snorting, he sat down on the bike and prepared to put on his helmet only for his phone to make a noise. Sliding it out of his pocket, he glanced down at it. Of course it would be his mother texting him. Making a detour to stop by the grocery store was going to tack an extra half-hour onto his drive. After sending her a reply, he put the helmet on and pealed out of the parking lot.

With the sound of his bike filling his ears, Daiki raced down the road. He revved the bike and flew past several cars, earning frustrated yells from the drivers. He took the next right turn sharply and sped up.

_Can't wait for everyone to get back. Maybe I'll get some sleep._

A scream made him jerk. He had just hit the brake when something slammed into the side of his bike. A moment of weightlessness was followed by a sharp pain in his arm.

He wasn't aware he had passed out until he came to with a person standing over him shouting. Groaning, he moved and hissed when his left arm throbbed. Grimacing, he looked down at it and felt his breath hitch at the sight of the blood covering it. While he didn't think it was broken, it was clear that his arm had been torn up when he was thrown off his bike. The person near him was talking to him, but he didn't hear because of the ringing in his ears. He did his best to sit up and use his other arm to take off his helmet. Judging from the blood smeared on his visor, he had a busted nose as well.

Trying to calm his breathing, Daiki took in a few deep breaths and turned to the woman. Even though his eyesight was a bit blurry, he could see people running down the street. He let his gaze move to the direction they were coming from and froze in place.

"Are you listening? We need to get you out of here!"

"Leave."

The woman, bewildered, stared at Daiki. "What?"

"Just go."

"I can't just—wait!"

He pushed himself to his feet, only to stumble. The woman caught him, careful not to touch his injured arm. He patted his pockets; both his phone and Digivice were gone. A quick glance around led to him spotting his phone. The thing was shattered. Licking his lips, Daiki looked the woman in the eyes.

"Do you have a phone?"

"Yes, but why would you—?"

"I need it."

"It can wait. You're hurt."

"Look, that big monster over there is here for me. So give me your phone and _go_. And if you see the cops, tell them to focus on evacuating people and keeping them away."

She hesitated for a moment, then handed the object over and dashed off. Fumbling with the phone, Daiki did his best to dial Nelia's number.

"_Hello?"_

"Mom," he gasped, "tell Renamon I need her."

"_Daiki? What's going on?"_

"Just tell her, okay? Tell her to look for a damn giant white snake."

He hung up before he could get confirmation. Because he was unsteady on his feet, Daiki nearly tripped over himself trying to find his Digivice. A glint of pale, dusty gold caught his eye underneath a small pile of rubble. He pushed through the pain to give it out, shoving pieces of metal and concrete away. What he found made his heart drop. He picked up the device, staring at the cracked screen in disbelief.

"It's broken," he muttered. "It can't be broken!"

"Tell me where the DigiDestined is!"

Whirling around, Daiki watched the snake slither towards a frightened boy. Without thinking, he picked his way through the rubble.

"Leave him alone! It's me you're looking for!"

The snake turned to Daiki with a hungry gaze. He took a step back, trying to keep some distance between him and Digimon.

"Appears that you are without your partner, little human."

Rubble halted his progress. Daiki glanced at it for a moment and then glared at the snake. "Yeah. You kinda caught me at a bad time. I was running an errand for my mom."

"Trying to act brave?" A forked tongue slid out of the creature's mouth. "I can taste your fear. This presents a difficult choice for me. While it would rather easy for me to kill you, I think it would be fun to torture you."

"Are _all_ of you assholes this sick in the head?" Daiki retorted. "Jeez. Must be from spending all that time under that crazy lunatic you call a leader."

The snake's tail flung through the air, hitting Daiki and wrapping around his ankle. He was yanked off his feet, his head centimeters from hitting the ground. He swung in the air like a pendulum, the movement making his eyes water from the pain in his arm.

"Hold your tongue lest I rip it out!"

"Whatever you say, scaly douche."

With an angry hiss he was released, only to have the tail grab hold of his injured arm. He screamed, squeezing his eyes shut. Darkness ebbed at the edges of his vision, followed by his heart pounding against his chest and a burning pain radiating from his arm. It made him nauseous; he had to fight back the urge to vomit.

"Humans are fragile things. It is astounding that one of you were not killed sooner. Though I suppose I should be grateful since it has provided me the chance to get rid of you personally."

"How 'bout…you piss off?"

No response came, as the snake shifted his gaze abruptly. A golden blur slammed into the snake's head. The grip on his arm loosened to the point that Daiki found himself falling. Something caught him and landed behind a large piece of metal. It took him a moment to realize that he had been rescued by none other than him partner.

"Hey," he said breathlessly. "What took you so long?"

The fox looked him over, her eyes eventually resting on his arm. "You're injured."

"I'm fine. Worry about the snake."

Renamon nodded and stood. "Where is your Digivice?"

"Broken."

"What?"

He pulled it out of his pocket and held it out to her. He chuckled. "Didn't think anything like this would be happening today."

A glint of determination in Renamon's eyes made Daiki frown. She walked past him, making him twist around to look at her.

"Where are you going? You can't fight him as a Rookie!"

"We did not come this far to give up due to fear. If I turn my back now, I will be undermining Impmon's sacrifice. No matter what, I will not let it be in vain."

She walked out into the open, making the snake cock his head in her direction.

"Ah, you must be the puny human's partner."

"Sandiramon."

"So you have heard of me."

"Yes, I know of the Devas," she growled. "A group that once stood for peace in our world. Now you attack those who cannot protect themselves under the guise of making the world a better place. The only thing you and Laylamon's other followers have done is ruin the lives of innocent Digimon."

"What a shame that you are so misguided."

"Misguided? How so?"

"Because you do not understand what it is that Laylamon wishes to do. You and many others blindly followed the word of the Royal Knights. You did not question them. It was they who were a danger to our world. Laylamon wants to fix the damage they wrought."

Grabbing at the rubble, Daiki pulled himself up, biting his lip to keep from making any pained noises. He leaned against it and closed his eyes. There he was, hiding like a coward while letting his own partner risk her life. Of all the times to start being afraid, his mind had chosen one of the worst moments.

_Come on, Daiki, you're better than this. You've never been afraid to fight before. Why be now?_

"The only thing she and her followers are doing is causing more destruction. We will stop every single one of you."

"Then your friends will have to do it without _you_!"

His eyes snapped open. Dashing out from behind his cover, he yelled, "Renamon!"

The Digivice lit up, broken screen and all, nearly making him drop it. At the same time, golden light surrounded Renamon. Sandiramon stopped with a hiss, blinded by the brightness. The fox's body began to shift, transforming into her Champion level. Instead of stopping there, it continued to changed, becoming bipedal and larger. Daiki gaped when the light faded and looked down at his Digivice. It was displaying information on his partner's new form.

"It's fixed…?" He mumbled in confusion. "So she's Taomon now."

He raised his gaze and watched Taomon look at him.

"I knew you could do it."

Grinning, Daiki gave her a thumbs up.

Sandiramon bared his fangs. "I had been told the DigiDestined seemed to possess the power to Digivolve when needed. I must admit that I am surprised to discover it is true. You still won't stop me from fulfilling my orders."

"That's where your wrong, snake," Taomon said. "I will defeat and absorb you. Then my friends and I will return to the Digital World to put a stop to your precious Laylamon."

Enraged, Sandiramon lunged at her. Taomon was quick to swing the giant brush in her paws and smack the snake in the side of the head with it. Stunned, the snake couldn't recover in time to avoid another strike from Taomon. The blow hit his jaw, driving his head upwards. The fox was preparing another attack when the snake's tail knocked her aside. The blow sent her crashing into a heap of debris, sending fragments of metal and concrete up into the air. A sizable piece was pushed off her as she attempted to get to her feet.

"After I kill you, I'll rendezvous with my allies and finish what we came here to do."

"Your allies?"

Sandiramon chuckled, amused by her confusion. "Yes, my allies. Four other Devas came with me to deal with you DigiDestined."

A snarl came from Taomon, who launched herself forward. Sandiramon twisted out of the way and snapped his mouth down onto her leg. She let out a cry before jabbing the end of her brush into his forehead. His jaw dropped open from the force of the hit, allowing her to break free. The snake shook the pain off, aggravated, and swung his tail at her. She dodged and threw several talismans onto Sandiramon. He looked down at them and was about to laugh when the talismans exploded, making him careen backwards. Before he hit the ground he caught himself, only to have Taomon deliver a series of hits with her brush that made him topple over.

"Why do you insist on defending a world that is not your own?" He demanded.

"Because it is the home of my friends and their family. That is enough of a reason for me to protect it!"

Sandiramon sprang up and wrapped himself around Taomon, squeezing her as tightly as he could. With her jaw firmly clamped shut, she grimaced. Struggling made him tighten and loosen his grip repeatedly. He laughed each time she grunted, finding joy in the pain he was causing her. Knowing that there was no way to wiggle free given her circumstance, she concentrated on the rhythm he was moving at. Just as he began to relax, she pulled her arm out and slapped a talisman on his face. She shielded her face when it went off and barely landed on her feet once free.

She scooped up her brush. Using it, she painted a giant Sanskrit character in the air.

"Talisman of Light!"

She swung the brush, hurling the massive character at Sandiramon. The moment it hit him, it detonated, sending out a dust-filled shockwave that almost knocked her off her feet. Once the dust had settled, she watched the snake collapse and disintegrate. Taomon let out a breath and absorbed the data before she reverted to her rookie stage.

Her ears caught the sound of Daiki moving. She turned to find him leaning on a piece of concrete that was embedded in the ground. He grinned, giving her another thumbs up.

"Good job."

"It was thanks to you that I could fight."

"Heh," he panted. "You know, we got really lucky that the cops didn't show up."

Renamon frowned, tilting her head to the side at the sound of how weak his voice was. Every other word came after a brief pause in which he would try to take in a breath. It was almost as if he was having trouble breathing. He also looked much paler than normal.

"Daiki, is something wrong?"

"To be honest, I don't…don't feel so good."

He pitched forward without warning, alarming her. She ran forward and caught him, holding him gently as she lowered them both to the ground. Though his body was limp, she could hear him breathing and feel the beating of his heart. Since she had no experience with human injuries, she wasn't sure what to do.

The sound of squealing made her go rigid. She glanced behind her to see a car come to a sudden stop, leaving black marks on the road. A man with wild grey hair poked his head out of the vehicle.

"Get in the car."

"Excuse me?"

"That boy needs medical attention. Get in the car so I can take him to the hospital."

Looking down at the prone form of her partner, Renamon knew it was her only chance. Even if the man had ill intentions, she could deal with him. With a nod, she picked up Daiki and carried him over to the car. The man hopped out long enough to open the back door, making it easy for her to put Daiki in the back seat. She slid in next to him to keep him upright and slammed the door shut.

"Hold on tight."

The car was roaring down the road within seconds. Renamon leaned forward, prompting the man to glance over at her for a moment. Noting the suspicion in her expression, he turned away.

"Who are you?"

"My name's Ryu."

"Why were you there when all the other humans had fled? Why did the police stay away? Why do you not seem surprised by me?"

"You do realize it's hard to answer questions when you keep asking them, don't you?"

The fox made an indignant noise.

"Look, I get that you're suspicious of me. That's understandable. If I told you I was an old friend of Nelia's, would that make you feel better?" When there was no response, he continued. "I've known her since I was a kid. Now to answer your other questions, I was nearby because I was keeping an eye on things. I also made sure the cops didn't get in the way."

"How? Daiki and Nelia told me quite a bit about them, and they seem fairly determined to do their job."

"Let's just say I have my connections."

"And my final question?"

He didn't answer her, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.

"You know about Digimon."

Ryu shrugged. "You could say that."

"Do you know who the others are?"

"Yes."

Dissatisfied with his answer, Renamon narrowed her eyes. "Who are you really?"

He merely chuckled and sped up.


	33. 32 - Serenity

Yoko had started to drift off, head lowering, when Judai pulled her to keep her from falling over. Her eyes snapped open. She looked at him and smiled sheepishly, causing him grin. The movement woke up Salamon, who had been napping on her partner's lap. The pup stood and stretched before glaring at Judai. Then, climbing over him, settled down beside Dorumon. Sitting in a group of chairs across from them were Tadashi, Biyomon, and Gabumon. Sleeping on a couch nearby was Shizuka, who had her arms folded over her stomach. Across the room from everyone were Mikami and Renamon. The two were deep in conversation, whispering to one another so no one could hear them.

A door opening and closing made all of them turn their heads. Stopping in front of the receptionist's desk, the doctor glanced up from the clipboard he was reading. Tadashi reached over to shake Shizuka awake, a grumble coming from her when he was finally successful.

"Are all of you Daiki's friends?"

"Yes," Mikami answered. "Can we see him now?"

"Straight to the point," the man said. "Yes. Normally I would only allow two at a time, but I'm going to make an exception this time. Just be careful while you're in there. No roughhousing or the like, understood? Wouldn't want you to make his arm hurt any worse than it already does. Come on."

They got to their feet and followed him through the set of doors. The doctor said nothing to them as they walked down the hallway, scribbling down words on his clipboard. After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped by one of the rooms and motioned to it.

"If any of you want to stay the night here, have your parents come in to give the hospital written permission." The man turned to leave, only to pause and face the friends once more. "Also, he's not allowed to change the channel. Last time he decided to watch a comedy show and ended up laughing so hard he hurt himself."

"Roger that," Shizuka mumbled with a salute.

The moment he left, Yoko opened the door and poked her head inside. She didn't get a chance to say anything; the bedridden Daiki noticed her immediately and used his good hand to wave to her. Beaming, the redhead opened the door fully and entered, the others following one by one. This made him lower his arm, surprised to see everyone there at once. Luckily there was enough room to prevent them from being squished together, though they had to circle around the bed to fit everyone inside. Having been the first one in, Yoko claimed the only chair in the room.

Mikami leaned down to pull him into a hug. His wince went unnoticed by her.

"I was worried sick about you," she whispered. "Renamon told us you were unconscious when you were brought in."

He looked at the ceiling. "Yeah, I was."

"How'd that happen?" Shizuka asked with a laugh.

Daiki frowned. "Blood loss."

Clearing his throat, Tadashi gently elbowed his sister. "How bad was it?"

"Let's see…Something hit my bike, making me crash and mess my arm up. Then a giant snake tossed me like a salad. Oh, and during the entire fight my arm was bleeding."

There were various degrees of sympathetic noises from the group, with Yoko's being the loudest.

"We're glad you're okay," Dorumon said.

"Yeah, thanks." He stretched his good arm and yawned. "You know you guys didn't have to come. It's pretty late."

"Come on, did you think we wouldn't visit our best friend when he's in the hospital?" Judai asked, punching Daiki's shoulder. "So, did the doc tell you when you're being let out?"

"Think he said the next day or so. They wanna watch me overnight to make sure my arm is healing right."

Settling on the bed's railing, Biyomon cocked her head at the young man. "Well, you shouldn't try to get into danger when your partner isn't around."

"Oh, great, she told you about that too?"

Salamon chortled. "Of course she did."

"Renamon, you said you wouldn't tell them so much!"

"The only reason why I said that was to make you stop repeatedly demanding that I do as you asked."

"Wow, what a nice partner you are."

The two began bickering, which led to Shizuka joining in, followed by Judai and Biyomon. It didn't last long; a comment by Dorumon turned it into a mess of jokes and laughing that involved most everyone. Daiki began laughing so hard that he ended up jostling his injured arm. He let out a loud "Ow!" that alarmed everyone, but continued to laugh, holding the arm to keep it still.

Gabumon was the only one who wasn't participating. The reptile's attention had been grabbed by the television on the wall. 'Breaking news' was plastered on the screen in big letters.

"Um, excuse me?"

Renamon heard him and shushed the others.

"I think there's something important on the television," Gabumon said, pointing up at it.

Mikami grabbed the remote from the table and turned up the volume.

"…_of the events that occurred earlier this afternoon. Alongside three confirmed incidents, a fourth is rumored to have occurred at the Hihō Hotsprings. Eyewitnesses provided video footage of the attacks that took place in Tokyo, Harigashi, and the __Fuji-Q Highland amusement park."_

"There were people _recording_ us in the middle of a life or death situation?" Shizuka hissed, close to slapping her hand against her forehead.

"Oh, son of a… Did they have to show Sandiramon treating me like a ragdoll?"

"There's something I don't understand," Mikami said, folding her arms. "They only appeared where you guys were at, right? But how?"

"The portals appear to have opened around the same time, judging from the videos," Tadashi mumbled. "I suppose it's possible that whoever created the portals were able to lock onto our locations, thus allowing the Digimon direct access to us. How there were able to is a mystery to me. Though I do wonder why everyone except for Mikami was attacked."

Falling silent, everyone looked at the brunette in confusion. Sliding her hand into her pocket, Mikami pulled out her Digivice and held it out to let the others see it. Nothing appeared on its screen when she pressed the buttons.

"My Digivice hasn't worked since…you know. That's probably the reason why one of them didn't come after me," she said. Eyes locked onto the wall, she shoved it back into her pocket. "It doesn't matter anyways."

A silence fell over the group only to be broken when Shizuka spoke up. "Would you look at the time? Come on you three, let's go call dad so he can take us home!"

"What? But we haven't—ow!"

Tadashi yelped when his twin grabbed his arm and squeezed while dragging him out of the room. Confused, Gabumon looked at Biyomon. The bird flitted over him and followed the siblings, making Gabumon scramble to catch up to her. Judai and Yoko exchanged a glance before the redhead bent down to pick up Salamon. Nodding to the door, Judai headed out, Dorumon trotting after the blond. Yoko waved and hurried out of the room. A thoughtful expression crossed Renamon's face, and she turned to her partner.

"I'll be in the hallway."

Once the door closed, Daiki tilted his head towards Mikami.

"Are you okay?"

Mikami scoffed, taking a seat in the chair beside the bed. "Don't worry about me. You were the one who almost got killed."

"Stop changing the subject."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. It's not hard for me to tell when something's wrong."

"You're just as bad as Sasha, I swear."

Reaching over, Daiki placed his hand on top of hers. "Do you really expect me not to worry?"

"No, but I wish you wouldn't."

He grinned. "What can I say?"

Sighing, Mikami dug into her other pocket and pulled out her phone. Curious, Daiki did his best to watch her as she tapped on the screen a few times. Her finger hovered for a moment over what he guessed was the call button.

"What're you doing?"

"Calling Andre."

"How come?"

"So I can get permission to stay the night."

"No way. You wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep here. Go home."

Smiling, Mikami stood up and leaned over the bed to kiss Daiki on the forehead. Blushing, he gaped at her when she stood again and began to walk out of the room. She stopped at the door, hand grasping the handle, to look back at him.

"Be back in a minute."

She opened the door, stepped out, and then closed it. Cheeks still burning, Daiki felt himself start to smile.

"She kissed me."


	34. 33 - Don't You See

After another day of trekking through the Rock Zone, Agunimon and Lobomon scooped out a place to rest amongst a rock outcropping. The rocks pointed inwards, making fair-sized a natural shelter. They gathered what little dead brush they could to make a fire underneath the massive stones. The first attempt at starting it went awry due to Agunimon putting too much force behind it. Giving it a second try proved to be satisfying once the brush caught fire. The duo did their best to relax, Lobomon resting his back against one of the rocks. Agunimon, on the other hand, decided to lay down on his side and poked at the fire.

"This makes one whole week since we left."

"Yet we have had no luck in our quest."

Agunimon rolled over onto his back. "Luring him out didn't work and trying to track him down isn't working. What are we going to do?"

"You're being impatient. We're still quite a distance from where he was spotted. It will take time to catch up." Watching the flames dance in the soft breeze, Lobomon added, "We haven't found a way to help him yet."

"What are we going to do if we can't help him?" Agunimon wondered quietly. "I want to be able to get him back, but…"

"If we can't find a way, then our only option will be to put him out of his misery."

In the span of a heartbeat, Agunimon sat up and turned to his friend with a look of outrage. "You can't mean that!"

"I do. What other choice will we have?"

"There's always another way!" Agunimon snapped. "I refuse to think that we can't bring him back!"

"Think about this rationally. Do you think Lowemon would want this?"

Whatever argument Agunimon had died in his throat with an incredulous noise. He turned away in anger and folded his legs, gripping his knees tightly with his hands. The crackling of the fire was the only sound for quite some time. Something about the way his friend reacted made Lobomon regret what he said. All he had been trying to do was to get the fiery Digimon to face the reality of what they were doing. It wasn't as if they could fix things themselves, no matter how much he wished they could. Unless they could find a way before they encountered him, the only option would be to destroy Duskmon. They couldn't just think about themselves in all this; others were endangered by Duskmon's mere presence. He had realized that during the past few days.

A sniff made Lobomon raise his head. Agunimon kept his face turned away, but it was easy to tell that he was rather upset.

"I just don't want to give up on him. We made a promise to be there for each other, you know?" Agunimon mumbled. "Giving up would mean breaking that promise. That's the last thing I want to do."

Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to say the things he said, but what could Lobomon do about it now?

"I know you're right. It's not like we could just convince Duskmon to side with us. He might not even remember things from when he was Lowemon. But I don't want there to be no chance of getting Lowemon back. Just the thought of losing him for good…"

Getting to his feet, Lobomon approached Agunimon and placed a hand on his shoulder. Startled, Agunimon looked up.

"I told you I thought there was a way to save him. That hasn't changed. We won't give up until we know there's no other way."

Sniffling, Agunimon attempted to hide his face and nodded. "Thanks, Lobomon."

"I'll take watch. Get some rest. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Lobomon took a seat in the opening, arms and legs crossed. Agunimon laid back down with his hands underneath his head. There was too much on his mind for him to sleep. How much longer was it going to take? What exactly would they do when they found him? Would they fight or try to reason with him? More than likely they would have to battle.

"Hey, Lobomon?"

"Yes?"

"If we do end up fighting Duskmon, do you think we can win?"

"I'm not sure," the lupine admitted with hesitance. "Every report we've received concerning him alluded how strong he was. It's impossible to tell until we face him."

"Won't stop us from trying, right?"

"Of course it won't. We'll do everything in our power to bring him back."

"Yeah," Agunimon mumbled as he closed eyes. "By the way, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so upset. It's just…what you said…"

"You don't have to apologize. If anything, I owe you an apology. I was too harsh when I responded."

"That's true. You _were _a tad bit mean."

That made Lobomon turn around to look at Agunimon, an amused smile on his face. "Good night, Agunimon."

Smirking, Agunimon rolled over. "Okay, okay. G'night."


	35. 34 - Trust Me

It was a slow day at the Resistance headquarters. With there being a lull in the fighting, the level of activity in the fortress was surprisingly low. Sheer boredom led to Angela rifling through various reports. Much to her pleasure, many of them proved to be rather interesting. There were a several times that she spotted her name and cringed. Each time her name was brought up in a discussion about the last few months, she would remember all the things she had done. She kept going through various pages until over an hour had passed.

Feeling stiff, Angela got up to stretch and walk around. She was passing the conference room when she heard voices. Normally she wouldn't eavesdrop, but hearing Devimon in the mix made her stop to listen.

"They've been gone for a whole week," Leomon muttered. "We have yet to see any sign of them."

"The entirety of Desert Zone has been searched. Maybe we should move on to Rock Zone," Devimon suggested.

Harpymon spoke up next. "I doubt that it would make a difference."

"What makes you say that?"

"They both know how to avoid being found, Lobomon especially."

"I know that, but we should keep searching," Leomon said. "Who knows what kind of trouble they have gotten in?"

"I'm not saying that we should call the search off. I'm saying that no matter how much we look they're going to keep themselves hidden."

A grunt came from Devimon. "Seems to be an unreasonable thing for them to do."

"Considering how abrupt their departure was, and that they informed no one beforehand, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Mind explaining?"

"The reason they left was to find Duskmon."

A sharp intake of breath came from Devimon. "Seriously? Are they trying to get themselves killed?"

"I wonder that myself."

"Where are we going to look next?" Leomon asked.

"Order a search party to comb Rock Zone. We should also consider the possibility that they've gone farther, so have the scouts in the other zones be on the lookout. Wherever Duskmon is, that's where Agunimon and Lobomon are most likely to be found," Harpymon said. "Meeting dismissed."

Angela backed away from the door to avoid being hit when it was opened. Of the three, Harpymon and Leomon paid her no mind. Devimon, on the other hand, stopped and turned to her, having noticed her.

"How long have you been there?"

"Not long," she lied, smiling. "Everything okay?"

"Besides the fact that two of our best fighters up and left? We've lost quite a few members the past week," he grumbled. "Of all the times to go running off, those two chose the worst possible one!"

"You've got a point there." Angela began to walk down the hallway. Devimon trailed after her. "You know, all of this is still strange to me."

"Huh?"

"Fighting the good fight," she said. "Guess it'll take longer to get used to it than I thought."

Scoffing, Devimon moved to walk beside the woman. "How do you think I feel?"

Snickering, Angela looked up at him. "Pretty weird, isn't it?"

"That's an understatement."

"Seems like you're adjusting better than I am, though," she pointed. "You've even been acting different."

"Do I want to know what you mean?"

"Well, ever since I first met you, you've been a hardheaded, snarky, sarcastic asshole," she stated, making him frown. "After what happened with Hypnocomon, you've been a bit more serious. Heck, you've even been more understanding."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far—"

She asked in a deadpan tone, "Can you honestly say you haven't been acting different?"

"Okay, maybe I have been a little bit," he admitted.

"I hope it's not just because you want to prove yourself."

He shrugged. "Kinda, but not really. I can tell what the Resistance is trying to do is important to you, so I'm doing my best. To be honest, I still can't bring myself to care all that much about the Digimon here."

"At least you're trying. That's all that matters. I'm sure you'll learn to care about them soon."

The devil grunted. "When did you become so mature?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Brash, ridiculously short temper, going on long rants…need I go on?"

"Yeah, I totally wasn't under the control of a Digimon."

She dismissed the bothered look on his face as she hastened her pace. Feeling a sudden need for fresh air, she headed for the battlements. It was easy for Devimon to catch up using his long legs. Once they were outside, Angela gripped the parapet and stared out at the sky. Seeing that she was bothered, Devimon attempted to start another conversation.

"What were you up to before you came down the hallway?"

"Reading some reports."

"Surprised you were allowed to."

"Eh. Not like reading old papers is gonna cause any trouble."

"I wouldn't be shocked if anyone thought that it might."

"Imagine the outrage over me reading reports that are several months old." She paused, intertwining her fingers. "Were you being serious earlier?"

"About what? Oh, you mean about the Resistance being important to you?"

"Yeah, that."

Devimon hummed and turned around to lean his back against the parapet. "Of course. I told you before that I do care about you." He looked up. "Thinking about it now, I think I know why. Something about how you needed someone to protect you made me care. Granted at first it was because protecting you was a part of my orders even though it annoyed me, and I basically lived to serve Laylamon. But over time I started liking it. Guess it just made me feel good."

Angela grinned at him. "It's pretty funny how you've become so focused just because of me."

"You make me want to be better," he said nonchalantly. "…Wait."

The blonde busted out laughing, bending over the wall. Gaping at her with an expression of surprise on his face, he turned to her.

"W-wait, that's not—I didn't—! Stop laughing at me!"

Wheezing, Angela wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Her reaction clearly embarrassed him. She took in a deep breath to calm herself down. "You know, if you weren't so focused on making me happy, you could do a lot better."

He huffed. "Do you know how weird it is hearing these kind of things come out of your mouth?"

"Well, I was a bit of a jerk when I met you, even though I was under someone else's control."

He looked away. "Sorry about that comment. It was out of line."

"No, it's okay. It was true. I just don't like thinking about it."

"I know. That's why it was out of line." His face turned to a thoughtful expression. He spun towards her suddenly, placing his hand against his chest. "Angela, I swear to you that I will do whatever it takes to gain the trust of all the Digimon here and learn to care so that I can truly become better."

At a loss for words, she stared at him, one eyebrow raised.

"You don't…have anything to say to that?"

She smiled. "Thank you, Devimon."

"Uh, you're welcome?"


End file.
